A highly interventionist AI strategy will be debated at this month’s milestone 50th Labor National Conference, where union officials lobbying for tight controls and worker protection clauses are expected to be among the 3000 delegates.
Anthony Albanese’s speech this week clarifying Australia’s approach to AI had marked a pivot from waiting for tech firms to self-regulate to shifting toward a more aggressive government intervention.
The Prime Minister had previously rejected the idea of an economy-wide AI Act pushed last term by former industry minister and Labor MP Ed Husic.
Labor insiders have described the PM’s declarations in his University of Sydney address as just the start of a major government pivot toward tackling the tech sector, flagging the upcoming Adelaide conference as the launchpad to the party’s strategy.
Following its resistance to AI regulation last term, the party had been handed the official Labor review of the 2025 Federal election which had explicitly warned of future AI threats to campaigns and online disinformation.
It was a danger the Prime Minister experienced first-hand when AI-generated memes and deepfakes were used to mock his government’s changes to capital gains tax in the May budget.
Thousands will attend the national conference to help Labor formulate its official party platform, with delegates including federal, state, and territory leaders, union members, and supporters.
Already, the text of the party platform regarding AI has been changing over the last few months and is expected to be debated further at the conference — which will coincide with the 135 anniversary of the party’s founding.
The party has already tallied up “couple hundred” lodged amendments up for debate at the three-day event, with more expectedin the lead up like previous conferences which have attracted up to 700 hundreds.
How AI will affect critical areas, specifically jobs, economic resilience, energy use, and sovereign capability is expected to be a focus in the lead up to and during the conference.
The PM’s speech outline plans to legislate an AI framework by early next year, set up a “dedicated “Office of AI” in his department, and mandatory how data centres are built and operate Down Under rather than leaving tech firms with a set of non-binding expectations.
He had declared it’s not too late to intervene to “seize, shape and share” the opportunities AI could deliver, as the technology transforms sectors and stokes fears over job security, intellectual property, and national security.
After the speech on Wednesday evening, Mr Albanese issued a tough message for workers on ABC’s 7.30 program when defending his stand on data centre rules and AI copyright.
The PM cautioned workers to adapt to the changes because “if not, then they don’t get a say”.
“Change is happening and they (workers) have an interest in shaping that change, because if not, then they don’t get a say,” he said.
“They have an interest in businesses being successful because more successful businesses means better workplaces and better conditions.
“We need to make sure that workers aren’t shut-out of those discussions.”
Opposition Leader Angus Taylor condemned the Prime Minister’s landmark address on Thursday, dismissing it as a vague, substance-free speech that failed to provide any concrete policy details.
“It’s motherhood statements at this point,” he told the Today Show.
“All he’s done in practical terms is create an office in an office, more bureaucracy, an office inside his own office to deal with these things, and all he’s put out is motherhood statements. There are so many questions that haven’t been answered.”
Despite being shuffled out of the portfolio after the last election, Mr Husic welcomed his party’s pivot and dismissed critics concerned by the lack of current specifics, insisting a broader plan was in the works.
“It’s the start of a shift. There’ll be a lot of other details which I imagine will be released in due course,” he told ABC on Thursday afternoon.
“We have started to make this shift to be able to . . . deal with the risks that are posed by AI and do it in a sort of uniform, nationally consistent way.
“The way we’re involving states and territories as well, this is really important.”
Mr Albanese’s pledge for AI protection for Australian creatives has hit all the right notes with musicians amid a rapid rise of manufactured tunes or lyrics after large language models scrapped their songs.
Attorney General Michelle Rowland said the government’s new AI strategy will ensure artists will flourish and reassured the creatives that the government would rule out a text and data mining exception.
“We made it very clear last year that we were ruling out a text and data mining exception. We stand by that,” she said on Thursday.
“Creatives will be coming to the table to look at ways in which we can ensure that they are getting properly recompensed and also that they can thrive in the new AI economy.”
Get the latest news from thewest.com.au in your inbox.
Sign up for our emails