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Cupertino, California: Anthony Albanese has urged the United States and China to strike a deal on artificial intelligence akin to a nuclear non-proliferation treaty ahead as world leaders meeting at the United Nations General Assembly prepare to tackle the rise of the technology.
During a visit to California, the prime minister raised the need for nations to commit to international rules governing AI, declaring humans must “remain in control”, after meeting Apple executive chairman Tim Cook and the global tech giant’s executive team.
Australia will join a collective middle-power effort at the United Nations this week amid an attempt to shape the global response to AI and a growing debate over whether the technology is developing faster than efforts to control its risks. The race is being played out largely between the United States and China, as Washington and Beijing compete for technological and strategic advantage.
After doomsday warnings of wiping out humanity, US President Donald Trump said on Saturday (US time) he was forming an “AI force,” despite some within the industry recently sounding the alarm about the dangers of artificial intelligence continuing to grow unchecked.
“We are leading China, and the rest of the World, and I intend to keep it that way!” Trump wrote, declaring he would fight any “decimation or destruction of AI”.
Albanese told ABC’s Insiders program he hoped there would be progress in a scheduled meeting between Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping at the White House this week.
“The truth is, they’re the big two giants here,” he said. “We want to see co-operation. We’ve seen that in the past with new technologies, even on nuclear weapons, for example. I think middle powers, such as Australia, have a role to play here as well.”
Speaking to reporters outside Apple Park, Albanese also left the door open to an opt-out copyright regime for artificial intelligence companies, despite warnings from Australian writers, artists and other creatives that such a system would undermine fundamental copyright protections.
Asked whether there was a danger in handing too much power to tech companies, given warnings about the risks posed by increasingly powerful AI systems, Albanese said there were risks.
“I certainly accept that there are risks, and that’s why we need to mitigate,” he said. “That’s why we need to act, and that is something that’s recognised by the companies themselves.”
He said the international debate was already under way among leaders preparing to attend the UN General Assembly in New York.
“What is being discussed this week, and has already been the subject of interaction between leaders who’ll be attending the UN this week, is what’s the international framework as well to take advantage of the benefits but also to mitigate the risks,” Albanese said.
Spruiking Australia’s pioneering social media ban for under 16s, Albanese met with Apple executives behind closed doors for an hour at Apple Park in Cupertino, California. Media were briefly allowed on site for a product demonstration, including the new foldable Duo phone, but were not allowed to film or take any photos of the meeting, buildings or any Apple employees.
AI giants, including Anthropic, OpenAI and Google DeepMind, have flagged that Australia’s current copyright regime was a hurdle to their increased investment in the country.
When asked, Albanese did not rule out the Australian government considering an opt-out system for copyright material used to train AI models.
Instead, he stressed the need for Australia to regulate AI and said legislation establishing Australian AI standards would be introduced before the end of the year.
“Part of that will be protecting intellectual property,” Albanese said. “We think that the protection of the creative sector is very important, and we’re engaged constructively. I think there’s a way through this.”
The ABC last week reported that AI companies would be allowed to train their models on online content without paying creators as long as they struck deals with enough rights holders, under one plan put forward.
Under Australia’s existing copyright regime, the owner of copyright in a piece of writing, photograph or other creative work generally has the right to control how it is reproduced and commercially exploited.
Creators and rights holders have warned that an opt-out model would reverse that principle by allowing AI companies to use copyright material unless individual creators took steps to prevent it. They argue the burden should instead fall on AI companies to seek permission before using protected works to train their models.
Booker Prize-winning Australian author Richard Flanagan argued last week that copyright was the foundation of Australia’s creative industries rather than an impediment to AI development.
“No artist I know is happy to see destroyed a system that has developed over centuries to enable them to work,” Flanagan wrote. “Copyright law is not a block or a problem – it is the foundation of all the creative industries.”
Albanese said there were three components to dealing with AI: safeguards imposed by technology companies, national regulation and an international framework.
“My government wants to make sure that we get the balance right, that we empower people, whilst recognising the many benefits that new technology can bring,” he said.
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Rob Harris is the national correspondent for The Sydney Morning Herald and The Age based in Canberra. He is a former Europe correspondent.Connect via email.From our partners
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