'Proud moment': what tech giants told PM on social ban

Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese met with tech executives, including former Apple CEO Tim Cook, on Sunday to discuss the risks posed by artificial intelligence. The one-hour meeting, held at Apple's headquarters in California, came after a phone call between the two leaders in June following Apple's introduction of child safety features on its devices, inspired by Australia's social media ban for under-16s.

During the discussions, Albanese emphasized the need to mitigate the risks of AI while ensuring humans remain in control. He called for greater international rules surrounding AI at the United Nations, noting Australia's push among other middle powers for more regulations in the sector. While Australia should not lag behind in the global AI race, safety features must be prioritized, Albanese stated.

Apple unveiled national AI standards in July, requiring data centers to be powered by renewable energy. Albanese also highlighted the importance of striking a balance between the benefits of AI and its potential harms. The push at the UN coincided with calls from OpenAI CEO Sam Altman and Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei for a slowdown in AI development.

However, US President Donald Trump rejected these calls, warning that America could fall behind China in the AI race. Albanese assured writers and creative artists that they would retain ownership of their work under upcoming copyright law changes, but he left the door open for a model that would allow creators to opt out of their work being used to train or inform AI technology.

Copyright laws were identified as a potential hurdle for AI companies with plans to invest in Australia. Albanese stressed the need for Australia to remain an attractive destination for AI developers while protecting the creative sector, declaring that they could not afford to be spectators to AI's rapid advancement. During the meeting, Albanese received a demonstration of Apple's safety features on its devices, including additional parental controls and time limits on app and social media use.

The prime minister noted that Apple and other tech companies have acknowledged Australia's pioneering role in online safety.