Openly stating that his country's creative content is not "public property," Anthony Albanese emphasized the need to align AI with the social and national interest. As he characteristically stressed, any use of music, books, or artwork without the creator's consent constitutes an act of "theft".
OpenAI's Pressures and the Response of CMOs
This shift comes as a direct response to pressures from foreign AI giants, such as Anthropic and OpenAI, for a less restrictive copyright framework.
In fact, a report by APRA AMCOS (Australia’s Music Rights Collective Management Organization) criticizes OpenAI's stance, as the company reportedly indicated it has no intention to invest in AI training or renewable energy infrastructure in Australia unless the government weakens copyright protections for creators.
In response to these practices, APRA AMCOS Chief Executive Dean Ormston pointed out that no AI platform has approached them to date to discuss how a licensing model would work. At the same time, he emphasized that music licensing mechanisms have already been operating successfully across all media for a century, highlighting that copyright is not the barrier—rather, it is the refusal of AI companies to engage in meaningful dialogue.
Addressing Environmental Footprint
In this context, the new legislative proposals additionally include measures regarding the environmental footprint of AI data centers, introducing rules and stricter limits on their energy and water consumption.
In a speech at the University of Sydney, Anthony Albanese highlighted the need for immediate action aimed at strengthening national security and restoring public trust, warning that inaction would allow developments to bypass the country.
The new proposals are expected to be discussed next month with state leaders and formally presented next year.