AI companies want to water down Australia’s copyright laws. Artists are outraged, Labor is split

Australian creatives are seeking to shore up copyright protections as the tech industry pushes for a carveout in exchange for datacentre investment. Composite: Victoria Hart/AAP/Getty Images View image in fullscreen Australian creatives are seeking to shore up copyright protections as the tech industry pushes for a carveout in exchange for datacentre investment. Composite: Victoria Hart/AAP/Getty Images AI companies want to water down Australia’s copyright laws. Artists are outraged, Labor is split Anthony Albanese will deliver a landmark speech on AI this week as MPs are torn between attracting datacentre investment and protecting the rights of creatives Get our breaking news email , free app or daily news podcast When Anna Funder stood before a pack of journalists at Parliament House earlier this month, she presented herself not just as a writer but also a “victim of crime”. The Stasiland author was using the analogy to illustrate how technology companies have flagrantly “hoovered up” her literary works for their own profit. Funder was also highlighting the importance of copyright laws in providing at least some layer of protection to Australians whose livelihoods depend on the original content they produce. Australia ‘sleepwalking’ into AI crisis and ‘tech bro free-for-all’, says Greens senator Read more Authors, artists, musicians and media organisations were last year assured those laws wouldn’t be watered down when the federal government ruled out granting a legal exemption for artificial intelligence companies to mine content to train their large language models (LLMs), such as ChatGPT, Gemini and Claude. But continual lobbying from tech giants and a whistleblower’s tip-off to the independent senator David Pocock have ignited fears that the Albanese government might go back on its word – even as it continues to insist that it won’t. View image in fullscreen Author Anna Funder at Parliament House. Labor ministers have been split on the path forward for copyright reform. Photograph: Lukas Coch/AAP The stoush has exposed splits within Labor about how to respond to AI and raised questions about how far the government should bend – if at all – to big tech to capture the supposed riches of the datacentre boom. Ministers divided The prime minister, Anthony Albanese , is expected to deliver a major speech on Wednesday about the government’s plans for regulating and capitalising on the nascent technology. After abandoning former industry minister Ed Husic’s vision for a dedicated AI act in favour of a hands-off approach to regulation, the government is reportedly set to pivot back to a more interventionist strategy . A concrete announcement on changes to copyright laws is not anticipated as part of Albanese’s address, which Guardian Australia has been told will be more vision statement than detailed policy announcement. Sign up for a weekly email featuring our best reads Senior Labor sources say ministers have been split on the path forward for cop