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Ed Husic tells Labor to get tougher on AI companies as letting them self-regulate ‘doomed to fail’
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Australian Labor MP Ed Husic has called on his party to impose stricter regulations on artificial intelligence companies, warning that allowing self-regulation is 'doomed to failure'. Speaking ahead of Prime Minister Anthony Albanese's highly anticipated speech on AI, Husic argued that big tech firms like OpenAI and Anthropic should not be left to set their own rules. The former industry minister emphasized that governments must intervene, drawing a parallel to emissions reduction efforts where waiting for industry social licence proved ineffective. His remarks come as the Media Entertainment & Arts Alliance urges the government to tighten copyright protections for creative works used to train AI models.
Husic, a long-time advocate for interventionist AI policy, told Sky News on Tuesday that self-regulation has been tried for decades and has not worked. He noted that if Australia waited for social licence from tech companies, it would not achieve emissions reductions. The Labor MP stressed that the federal government should establish strong rules rather than relying on industry goodwill. His comments reflect growing internal debate within the Labor party over how to balance technological innovation with protections for Australian creators.
The union representing journalists, artists, and creatives has called for tougher copyright laws to prevent AI firms from using creative works without compensation. Labor has ruled out a text and data mining exemption that would allow AI companies to train their models on Australian content for free. However, cabinet discussions on copyright reform continue, with a diversity of views among senior ministers after lobbying from big tech. Documents released under freedom of information laws reveal that Treasury officials warned Treasurer Jim Chalmers that Anthropic would complain copyright rules were impeding datacentre development in Australia.
Husic strongly opposed any watering down of copyright protections, arguing it goes against Labor's ethos of 'a fair day's pay for a fair day's work'. He stated that executives at companies like OpenAI and Anthropic are paid for their work, and expecting others to hand over their work without payment is unacceptable. When asked if his colleagues were considering weakening copyright, Husic acknowledged ongoing behind-the-scenes debates and media speculation about possible changes.
Albanese's Wednesday speech in Sydney is expected to address social licence and policy guardrails for AI, datacentres, and Australian intellectual property. While details are tightly held, he is not expected to announce progress on copyright reforms. The speech comes amid growing scrutiny of datacentres' energy-intensive nature and their impact on land, capital, and workforce requirements. Labor ministers Sam Rae and Alice Jordan-Baird recently raised concerns about a massive datacentre development in Melbourne's outer west, highlighting community worries about energy, water, traffic, and noise issues.
The debate over AI regulation and copyright reform in Australia underscores the tension between fostering technological advancement and protecting domestic industries. Husic's call for stricter rules suggests that the Labor party is grappling with how to respond to rapid AI developments while maintaining its traditional values. The outcome of these discussions will have significant implications for both big tech companies and Australian creators.
