Albanese Declines to Rule Out Copyright Law Changes for AI Training

Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has repeatedly declined to confirm whether Australia's copyright laws will be altered to accommodate artificial intelligence training, despite emphasizing the need for human control over creative works.

During a visit to Silicon Valley, Albanese met with Apple CEO Tim Cook and other technology executives. Following the meeting, he was pressed by ABC's Insiders host David Speers about potential changes to copyright protections that would allow US AI firms greater access to creative content for training their models.

Albanese reiterated his stance that creators should retain control over their intellectual property and that any use of their work for AI training should be properly monetized. When Speers directly asked if this meant copyright laws would not be watered down, Albanese did not provide a direct answer, stating instead that "control and monetization" were the key principles.

"Artists need to keep control of their intellectual property. I think that's a very clear position," Albanese said. He added that if commercial deals are made by large organizations, those agreements should extend to the underlying creators.

When asked if these protections would apply to independent creators who may not be able to negotiate licensing agreements, Albanese stated, "If they do deals, then those deals will encompass the artists."

Speers persisted, asking, "So no change to copyright law?" Albanese responded, "Well, no change to the principles that I've outlined very clearly." This distinction between principles and specific laws led Speers to question, "That's different to saying no change to copyright law. What might you change?" Albanese, however, did not specify whether legislative changes were being considered, stating only that "we'll engage constructively on all of these issues."

The Prime Minister acknowledged the risks associated with rapid AI development, stressing the importance of international safeguards and warning that Australia cannot afford to fall behind. "I certainly accept that there are risks and that's why we need to mitigate them," he said. "There is a need for a discussion about what the global framework is for the rollout of AI, because it is moving very quickly. We need to make sure that humans remain in control."

Albanese's comments come as he prepares to meet with US President Donald Trump at the United Nations General Assembly in New York, where AI is expected to be a significant topic of discussion. The UN meeting occurs amid calls from some AI leaders, such as OpenAI's Sam Altman and Anthropic's Dario Amodei, for a slowdown in AI development. In contrast, Trump has expressed skepticism about increased guardrails, fearing it could cede ground to China in the AI race.

When asked about the prospect of the United States and China collaborating on AI regulation, Albanese expressed agreement, stating, "They're the big two giants here. We want to see cooperation." He also voiced hope that a potential meeting between Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping might lead to progress. While Albanese did not directly criticize Trump's approach to AI regulation, he underscored the universal need for safeguards, warning of the risk that AI systems could evolve beyond human control.