Australian PM Calls for AI Governance Laws Amid Rapid Technology Growth
SYDNEY — Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said Wednesday that Australia will introduce legislation to regulate how large data centers use power and water, while also protecting creative copyright from technology companies.
In a speech at the University of Sydney, Albanese said he would meet state and territory leaders next month to discuss the proposed laws, which would be introduced next year. He warned that letting others write the rules “would mean subcontracting our national sovereignty and security to the control of foreign monopolies.”
“Australian creative content is not up for grabs,” he said. “No company should use Australian books, music, art or news to build or train models without the artist’s control. Anything less is theft.”
The new standards would require data centers to put more power into the electricity grid than they take out, ensure they do not compete for land with housing, and minimize water usage. The government will also establish a dedicated office to oversee policy.
Albanese’s remarks followed reports that US startup Anthropic had lobbied Australian officials to change copyright laws as it considered investing in local data centers. Musicians, writers, and publishers have urged the government to resist such pressure.
Investment in data centers was the largest contributor to Australia’s economic growth in the three months to March, according to government figures. Albanese said the country “cannot settle for a short-term boom in capital expenditure and construction” and should use the technology to create good jobs rather than treat it as a threat.
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