Labor Slams Brakes on Big Tech’s AI Free Ride: ‘Australian Creatives Will No Longer Be Ripped Off’
- Government vows to make AI developers pay for using Australian content
- Attorney-General Michelle Rowland rejects ‘text and data mining exception’ that would have let tech giants off the hook
- Move hailed as a victory for artists, journalists, and creatives who say they’re being ‘robbed’ by AI models
In a dramatic turn of events, the Albanese government has put the brakes on Big Tech’s AI free ride, vowing to make developers pay for using Australian content. The move has been hailed as a victory for artists, journalists, and creatives who say they’re being ‘robbed’ by AI models that scrape their work to produce new content.
Attorney-General Michelle Rowland has rejected calls for a ‘text and data mining exception’ that would have let tech giants like Google and Facebook off the hook. Instead, she’s announced that the Copyright and AI Reference Group (CAIRG) will look at tweaking the Copyright Act to compel developers to compensate creatives.
“Artificial Intelligence presents significant opportunities for Australia and our economy, however it’s essential that Australian creatives benefit from these opportunities too,” Ms Rowland said. “We will not weaken copyright protections when it comes to AI. The tech industry and the creative sector must now come together and find sensible and workable solutions to support innovation while ensuring creators are compensated.”
The move has been welcomed by News Corp Australasia executive chairman Michael Miller, who said it “secures a sustainable and thriving future for Australia’s culture, news media and creative sectors”. ARIA chief executive Annabelle Herd also praised the decision, saying it’s a “critical first step” in protecting Australian copyright law.
But the fight is far from over. Big Tech companies are pumping billions into AI development, with some estimates suggesting they’re making untold billions from AI-generated content. It’s unclear how much they’ll be forced to pay under the new rules, but one thing’s for sure: the era of free riding is over.
In a stark warning to tech giants, Ms Rowland said: “The government will support these next steps through the renewed focus tasked to the Copyright and AI reference group. We will work to ensure that Australian creatives are not only protected but also fairly compensated for their work.”