Extract from ABC News
Annabelle Herd says artists need to be part of the change, given their content powers a lot of the tools. (ABC News: Geoff Kemp)
In short:
Australian artists have welcomed Labor’s artificial intelligence copyright pledge and want input at a new office coordinating a national response to the technology.
Anthony Albanese says he is confident his plan for mandatory data centre guidelines and a more centralised approach to AI will not deter investment from companies like Anthropic.
What's next?
The prime minister will seek state and territory support for proposed AI data centre standards at national cabinet next month.
Australian artists want a seat around the table at the new office for artificial intelligence established by Anthony Albanese in a bid to "shape" how the technology affects the country.
The prime minister has pledged writers and musicians will retain control over if and how their work is used to train AI, allaying industry fears the federal government was poised to dilute copyright laws in order to attract data centre investment.
Mr Albanese on Wednesday also announced plans for mandatory rules around water and power usage for data centres and signalled a more coordinated approach to other AI challenges to be run through a new office in his department.
In a speech in Sydney, he promised Australia's laws "will spell … out" clear protections for creatives who permit AI to train on their books, music and art, and also implied further work to come on the copyright issue.
The prime minister has pledged writers and musicians will retain control over if and how their work is used to train AI. (AAP: Dan Himbrechts)
In light of this, Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA) chief executive Annabelle Herd said she hoped there was space for the creative sector to contribute to the Office of AI.
"It feels like a very important step change for the Australian government in how it's approaching and considering AI as a whole of economy, whole of government, whole of society issue," she said.
"Given our content is what powers a lot of these tools and makes them amazing, because our content is amazing, we'd very much like to have a seat at the table going forward."
Ms Herd said the sector "very much want to facilitate" AI training in Australia.
"Copyright doesn't prevent AI training … it simply requires that you need to get a license to do it," she said.
Ms Herd said she believed some of the changes that could come out of further discussion about copyright in Australia related to tweaks around enforcement or how disputes are resolved.
"The attorney-general has floated whether we need to create a new small claims court so that it's easier for Australian rights holders to enforce their copyright protection," she said.
PM confident AI dollars will still flow to Australia
Artists have widely interpreted the prime minister's commitment on copyright as Australia closing the door on a proposal floated by AI giant Anthropic to establish a centralised creative fund to compensate artists in place of individual licensing deals.
Anthropic general counsel Jeff Bleich said the company respected the process for establishing Australia's AI framework outlined by Mr Albanese on Wednesday.
"We … take seriously Anthropic's responsibility to meet the terms set out by the Australian government for AI developers," he said.
Anthropic has been contemplating a multi-billion-dollar data centre investment to potentially make Australia its second home, behind the US, for training its AI model Claude.
It had been implied clarity around copyright laws remained a barrier for the company, but it is understood Anthropic remains committed to pursuing Australian investment as part of its broader aim of ensuring democracies lead the world in AI.
By comparison, China is pursuing AI as a strategic race for technological and geopolitical advantage with far less emphasis on safeguards.
Mr Albanese said he was not concerned his AI approach made Australia a less attractive destination for companies like Anthropic.
"We're confident the advantages that Australia provides will see significant investment here," he told 7.30.
Coalition questions AI bureaucracy
Opposition leader Angus Taylor has criticised Mr Albanese's announcement of "another office in an office".
"The answer to AI in this country is not more bureaucracy," he said.
Shadow Minister for Digital Economy Aaron Violi said the government has to be "very careful that we do not over regulate".
He said it was important to get the balance right to ensure it works for people and community but stressed "regulation and legislation will not keep up with the pace of technology".
The opposition, including its leader Angus Taylor, has questioned adding more bureaucracy. (ABC News: Ian Cutmore)
Greens senator David Shoebridge said he believed Labor had "missed the moment" to provide a "clear statement" on how the government would regulate AI.
"What we need from this government … are clear legislated protections, yes, for the environment, but also for our own control, for our industry, for control over our own data," he said.
Mr Albanese has defended the plan to centralise AI coordination without immediately rushing to legislative intervention on all issues.
"It is not our goal to try and legislate for every possible eventuality or risk," he said in the speech.
"This is about having the flexibility to keep pace with change — and get out in front of it."
He argued Australians would be more willing to embrace AI if they believed the government was managing it coherently.
Mr Albanese also emphasised the need to develop sovereign AI capacity, insisting Australia could be "more than a data warehouse for AI products made overseas".
Data centre developers will welcome 'well considered' rules
The prime minister will seek state and territory agreement to his proposal for mandatory standards to govern the water and power usage of large AI data centres when national cabinet meets in August.
Mr Albanese said the government would consult with industry and trading partners to design framework for "faster decision-making, better supporting infrastructure and genuine community engagement" ahead of introducing legislation next year.
Aaron White, who heads up technology media and communications for Asia and Australia at global law firm HSF Kramer, said industry would broadly welcome a "well thought through and considered" national framework for AI infrastructure.
Mr White said his advice to data centre clients will be to "engage early and constructively" with the consultation process led by the government.
"There's an opportunity to help shape a framework that is both practical and internationally competitive," he said.
"I think it's also an opportunity for them to demonstrate how very clear and consistently applied rules hopefully can accelerate investment, but at the same time maintain high environmental and community standards."
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