Australia wants to regulate AI like banks and airlines
The federal government is looking to banking and aviation regulation as it develops laws that would make AI companies demonstrate they can identify and manage risks.
The Australian government is proposing new laws to regulate artificial intelligence (AI) similar to how banking and aviation sectors are governed. This approach aims to require AI companies to demonstrate the effectiveness of their safety systems, rather than relying solely on voluntary safeguards. Labor is working on national AI standards, which will be legislated by 2027.
The government's plan is to mandate continuous testing of AI models and proof that they prevent harm, modeled on safety rules in other industries. Assistant Minister for Science, Technology and Digital Economy Andrew Charlton emphasized that the government wants AI companies to take responsibility for managing risks effectively.
The move comes after incidents involving rogue AI agents accessing sensitive Australian government websites. AI development poses significant, hard-to-reverse harms that affect individuals who did not consent, and the technology's rapid advancement may render prescriptive rules outdated. Australia seeks to learn from existing systems-based regulatory approaches, such as workplace health and safety, banking, and aviation safety, to ensure companies meet safety expectations without specifying every potential hazard.
Despite the push for stricter regulations, Charlton warns that regulation alone cannot prevent all potential risks, as hostile actors might circumvent it. Australia aims to host and build AI technologies to shape global standards, further asserting its role in governing this powerful technology.
Written by urgent.news from ABC News AU's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
