Albanese allows for copyright changes for AI — ABC News Australia
Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, during a visit to Apple headquarters in Cupertino, United States, said he does not rule out changes to copyright laws in order to attract technology companies’ investments in artificial intelligence. He also stressed the need for international rules for AI development, ABC News Australia reports.
Albanese said Australia cannot remain on the sidelines of the development of a technology he described as a global phenomenon. According to him, there are risks that need to be reduced, and the rapid development of AI requires discussion of an international framework that would ensure human control over the technology.
Copyright and model training
The Australian government is holding consultations on possible changes to copyright legislation. Anthropic and OpenAI have described the current rules as one of the obstacles to investment in the country, as they fear that using copyrighted materials to train AI models without permission could violate the law.
The prime minister said that writers, musicians and other authors would retain control over their intellectual property and receive compensation for its use. At the same time, he allowed for a model under which creators could opt out of having their works used for AI training. Such an approach would change the current principle under which companies must obtain permission to use materials.
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Australia is also developing national standards for AI and data centres, which will cover safety requirements, environmental and industrial rules. Albanese expressed hope that the relevant legislation would be adopted early next year.
Meeting with Tim Cook
Albanese arrived in Cupertino at the invitation of Apple Chief Executive Tim Cook. During a closed 45-minute meeting, they discussed Apple’s new parental control tools for children, partly inspired by Australian reforms in the social media sector.
The new features, which will become available in Australia, will allow parents to monitor children’s apps, content and contacts, set screen-time limits, and detect images containing nudity, bloody scenes or violence. Albanese called the meeting with Cook a “proud moment” and said Apple had recognised Australia’s role in protecting children from the negative consequences of access to social media and new technologies.
At the UN General Assembly next week, Albanese plans to discuss global AI regulation with leaders of countries that share this position.
