Albanese pledges stronger AI copyright protections for Australian creatives

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has promised stronger copyright protections for Australian artists, photographers, writers and journalists as the federal government prepares a broader framework for artificial intelligence.

In a major speech outlining Australia's AI strategy held recently, Albanese said creators must retain control over how their work is used to train AI models, sending a clear signal to technology companies that licensing—not scraping—should be the basis for accessing creative content.

"Anything less is theft," Albanese said.

The Prime Minister also stressed that creators should decide both whether their work is used and what it is worth.

"No company should use Australian books, music, art or news to build or train AI without the artist's control, and that includes the artist's control of the price and value of their work."

While no new copyright legislation has yet been introduced, the government's position suggests Australia's existing copyright framework could be strengthened to ensure AI developers cannot freely use copyrighted images for model training without permission or compensation.

That said, Albanese acknowledged that no country has yet found the right balance between AI innovation and creators' rights but said Australia intends to play an active role in shaping those rules rather than following overseas precedents.

The announcement was welcomed by the Australian Recording Industry Association, whose chief executive Annabelle Herd said the speech sent a "clear message" that AI companies should negotiate licensing agreements with rights holders.

"Australian writers and musicians keep ownership and control of their work. Artists control what that work is worth, not the government and not a technology company."

While the speech did not include specific legislative changes, the government's consultation process is expected to address copyright alongside broader AI regulation in the coming months.