Albanese to deliver major speech on artificial intelligence

Anthony Albanese (Facebook/Anthon Albanese MP)

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese will outline new principle and policies on the use of artificial intelligence in a speech tomorrow titled AI in Australia’s interests, on the technology reshaping many facets of the economy and society. Source: The Age.

Mr Albanese’s decision to deliver a keynote speech in Sydney tomorrow on AI reflects increasing levels of opposition to data centres overseas and fears of worker displacement, particularly as a populist backlash exploits economic anxieties after years of high inflation.

But it is unclear if Mr Albanese’s doctrine will create tangible regulations or focus more on high-level principles, given Australia has minimal influence on global tech regulation.

Trade-offs in the AI policy debate are exposed in a tussle between the Albanese Government and AI giants on whether copyright laws should be waived so companies including Anthropic can train their models in Australia.

Australia has been the second-largest destination for data centre investment after the US, propping up Australia’s mediocre rate of GDP growth.

Tech firms have offered to pay into a fund that would be dispersed to musicians and artists in exchange for a copyright exemption. However, artists have rejected the proposal, and Labor ministers are not inclined to back the idea of a new fund.

UNSW AI Institute chief scientist Toby Walsh said Australia should not “capitulate” on copyright because AI companies were showing around the world that they were willing to pay.

Professor Walsh said he was “pleased to see the government waking up” to the consequences of AI and becoming a “bit more interventionist”.

Although he also told ABC TV that Australia was well behind competitor nations such as South Korea in making investments in AI outside of data centres, on things such as new models and training Australians to use the technology.

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