PM frames sweeping new regulations as the equivalent of labour movement touchstones like winning a minimum wage
Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has delivered a landmark speech outlining the nation’s AI policy, which will require datacenter builders to contribute more energy than they consume and mean AI companies must reach agreements with local artists and media before using their content.“Let me make this crystal clear – not everything produced in Australia is up for grabs,” Albanese said, a reference to both content and the nation’s energy and water resources.The PM said Australia will therefore legislate to require builders of large new datacenters to become net generators of energy, rather than consumers, by funding electricity generation projects to meet their needs and pay for associated work to bolster energy grids.
The policy also requires datacenter operators to pay for water infrastructure and make minimal environmental impacts.
The PM expects Australia’s states and territories to sign up to his plan so the nation can offer expedited approval processes for datacenter builds and consistent operating standards that apply across the country.Nationwide laws, Albanese argued, will make Australia a more attractive destination for inbound investment by making it easier for AI companies to plan new datacenters – and perhaps offset other elements of the policy that are more onerous than laws in other countries.“Australian writers, musicians, artists and journalists, must retain ownership and control of their work,” Albanese said. “Anything less is theft.”
