The Australian Labor Government announced it will not introduce a standalone AI law but will implement a National AI Plan, managing AI under existing legal frameworks.
The plan aims to balance economic growth and social equity, avoiding additional legislative burdens while accelerating domestic AI development. The government highlighted AI’s potential to improve healthcare, education, long-term care, and employment, creating jobs and enhancing technology rather than replacing labor. Public and private high-value datasets will be released for AI model training, with incentives for data center investment to boost local R&D and competitiveness.
To address risks, an AI Safety Research Institute will be established to monitor AI’s impact on energy consumption, gender misuse, and intellectual property issues, with an initial AUD 30 million investment. The government will evaluate whether deeper legislation is needed and ensure regulatory frameworks keep pace with AI development.
Some scholars and privacy advocates worry that relying on existing laws alone may lead to unclear accountability, weak oversight, and insufficient transparency. Niusha Shafiabady, an associate professor at Australian Catholic University, criticized the plan for gaps in accountability, sovereignty, security, and democratic oversight. Opponents also highlighted environmental concerns from expanding AI systems and data centers and the lack of legal protections against AI-induced discrimination, privacy violations, or manipulation.