Overview
- The Attorney‑General’s Department leaked consultation slides published Tuesday show the government is considering making online material available for AI training by default unless creators opt out.
- OpenAI has said it would not proceed with building model training centres in Australia if copyright law remains unchanged and other firms such as Anthropic have made similar investment plans conditional on legal clarity.
- The documents set out two concrete models: payments via a central body that would distribute money to registered rights holders, or a quota system that requires AI firms to strike deals with a minimum number of rights‑holder organisations before gaining permission to train on un‑opted content.
- Politicians and creators have sharply divided responses with government ministers urging a balance between jobs and rights, opposition figures accusing tech firms of coercion, and rights‑collecting bodies warning the opt‑out default would weaken creators’ control.
- Policy choices could determine whether Australia attracts large, energy‑hungry AI projects or maintains stronger protections for artists and newsrooms, and the debate raises practical issues about compensating the many small copyright owners whose work is online.