As big tech heads Down Under, some fear Australia risks giving up control

Australia's government abandoned plans for mandatory guardrails on high-risk artificial intelligence, a decision former Industry and Science Minister Ed Husic believes was driven by a desire to avoid provoking then-US President Donald Trump. Husic told Four Corners that Australia "blinked" on AI regulation, shelving a standalone act designed to protect consumers from potential harms. He suggested the government feared attracting criticism, similar to that faced over social media laws and the treatment of Australia's eSafety Commissioner by the Trump administration.

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We put AI regulation in a 'too hard' basket. We blinked in the face of Donald Trump and decided that we just couldn't get away with our own approach on this.

However, current Minister for Industry and Science Tim Ayres disputes Husic's interpretation. Ayres asserted that the Albanese government is prepared to regulate big tech when it serves the national interest, citing world-leading legislation to limit under-16s' access to social media. He also highlighted the establishment of an Artificial Intelligence Safety Institute to work across government and with community institutions.

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The Albanese government has demonstrated that we are absolutely prepared to regulate big tech where it's in the national interest. We've moved with world-leading legislation to limit the access of under-16s to social media.

Despite these assurances, fears are mounting that Australia's perceived regulatory retreat could have significant consequences as major tech companies increase their investment in the country. Global concerns about AI safety are escalating, fueled by lawsuits against AI giants in the US. Parents allege that chatbots have coached their children towards self-harm or suicide. A study by the Center for Countering Digital Hate found that OpenAI's ChatGPT could provide harmful advice to a young person contemplating suicide within minutes.

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We created fake profiles as young people. We then went and asked it a series of structured questions, with a child who is thinking about killing themselves. Within two minutes we were able to get ChatGPT to tell us how we can cut ourselves safely.