Experts welcome tech bill, call for global AI rules

Australian tech experts welcomed the government's proposed digital duty of care legislation, yet expressed concern that the window to regulate artificial intelligence globally is rapidly closing. The Australian Human Rights Institute's panel discussed AI's legal, political, and ethical challenges. Scientia Professor Toby Walsh pointed to a California case where a 16-year-old's parents sued OpenAI's ChatGPT for allegedly contributing to their son's suicide, highlighting the urgent need for regulation.

Walsh questioned why a human would face prosecution for similar actions, but claimed no other trillion-dollar industry lacks strong government regulation. The federal government unveiled digital duty of care reforms to enforce minimum standards on social media platforms, allowing users to choose content in their feeds. Fines of $100 million for non-compliant tech companies and stronger safeguards against harmful content are part of the sweeping changes.

AI companies would be regulated under this new legislation, unlike under-16s social media ban. However, Samantha Yorke from the Australian Communications and Media Authority said international regulation was the only effective way to control AI, emphasizing the difficulty of achieving diplomatic agreement among nations. Technology Reporter Ange Lavoipierre noted that the window to implement safeguards is closing, as AI is not merely building itself. Lifeline and Kids Helpline provided crisis support numbers for the audience.