When Anna Funder stood before a pack of journalists at Parliament House this month, she presented herself not just as a writer but also a "victim of crime". The Stasiland author was using the analogy to illustrate how technology companies have flagrantly "hoovered up" her literary works for their own profit. Authors, artists, musicians and media organisations were last year assured those laws wouldn't be watered down when the federal government ruled out granting a legal exemption for artificial intelligence companies to mine content to train their large language models, which include ChatGPT, Gemini and Claude. But continual lobbying from tech giants and a whistleblower's tipoff to the independent senator David Pocock have ignited fears that the Albanese government might go back on its word - even as it continues to insist that it won't. The stoush has exposed splits within Labor about how to respond to AI and raised questions about how far the government should bend - if at all - to big tech to capture the supposed riches of the datacentre boom.

Image caption, Port giant DP World handles around 40% of Australia's container shipments Australian dock workers are demanding a 28-hour work week with no loss of pay as the use of artificial intelligence (AI) and automation expands across the country's ports. The AI push is being led by port logistics giant DP World, which the Maritime Union of Australia (MUA) said has put workers' jobs in the crosshairs. The union said: If DP World wants AI and automation, then they must pay the social dividend. The new technology doesn't have to cost our members their jobs or put their livelihoods at risk just so a terminal operator can boost profits. The BBC has contacted DP World for comment and the MUA for more details.

OpenAI has partnered with datacentre operator NextDC to build a multibillion dollar computing cluster in Sydney. The NSW environment minister, Penny Sharpe, says the city is'a highly desirable location'. OpenAI has partnered with datacentre operator NextDC to build a multibillion dollar computing cluster in Sydney. The NSW environment minister, Penny Sharpe, says the city is'a highly desirable location'. NSW government'absolutely thrilled' to welcome OpenAI ... until someone mentioned the Terminator films Emails sent between MP Anoulak Chanthivong's staff take cautious approach to AI giant arriving in Sydney - despite the government's encouragement The NSW technology minister's office removed a reference to being "absolutely thrilled" about OpenAI opening a Sydney office after staffers joked a dystopian Skynet could be headed for the city within five years.

Follow the day's latest updates Court approves $23.5m fine and costs order against ASX Shadow arts minister says AI companies need to do what everyone else does: 'ask permission and pay for it' Albanese defends gambling reforms, says he's'not against someone having a punt' Pocock says it's'tragic' gambling reforms don't go nearly far enough Shadow arts minister says AI companies need to do what everyone else does: 'ask permission and pay for it' If AI companies want to use Australian creative work, they should do what everyone else does: ask permission and pay for it. Australian creativity is one of our greatest national assets - not a free resource for multinational tech companies. The Coalition will always back the right of artists to control their work and be fairly compensated when others profit from it. This is about consent, fairness and respect for Australian creativity. Court approves $23.5m fine and costs order against ASX Shadow arts minister says AI companies need to do what everyone else does: 'ask permission and pay for it' Albanese defends gambling reforms, says he's'not against someone having a punt' Pocock says it's'tragic' gambling reforms don't go nearly far enough Court approves $23.5m fine and costs order against ASX A federal court judge has ordered the ASX operator to pay $23.5m in penalties and costs after the company admitted to making a misleading statement about a troubled upgrade for technology required to run the stock exchange.

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Guardian Australia has been told an industry proposal has been presented to cabinet that would grant AI companies special exemptions to mine creative content. In exchange, the companies would bankroll the artists' fund and commit more than $50bn worth of investment in datacentres. Australia'sleepwalking' into AI crisis and'tech bro free-for-all', says Greens senator The independent senator David Pocock said the proposal was the "ultimate dirty deal" as he demanded the government categorically rule it out. The potential adoption of a text and data mining exemption would represent a major reversal from the federal government, which last year ruled it out after criticism from artists, authors and media groups. Amid fears the government could capitulate to big tech, a delegation of creatives staged a press conference in parliament house on Wednesday to urge the government to hold the line.

Many Australian superannuation portfolio's are invested in Elon Musk's company. Many Australian superannuation portfolio's are invested in Elon Musk's company. Artificial intelligence and technology stocks have become a driving force on Wall Street and, unbeknownst to most Australians, a growing part of their retirement savings . The so-called "magnificent seven" - chip maker Nvidia, Google owner Alphabet, Apple, Microsoft, Amazon, Facebook owner Meta and Tesla - are, for better or worse, increasingly part of the portfolios offered by superannuation funds. The average Australian super portfolio now has an estimated 12% of its investments in AI-related companies due to the massive growth of tech stocks in recent years, experts say.

Nick Cave and Kylie Minogue are among Australian artists reportedly found in datasets used to train artificial intelligence. Nick Cave and Kylie Minogue are among Australian artists reportedly found in datasets used to train artificial intelligence. 'It's all just rendered useless', Something For Kate's Paul Dempsey says as AI scrapes millions of songs to learn how to make music Paul Dempsey and Bernard Fanning are among big-name Australian musicians upset that their original songs have been found in datasets used to train artificial intelligence. A dataset search tool recently created by US publication The Atlantic reveals millions of creative works have been scraped from the internet to train the disruptive technology. It includes a vast catalogue of work by Australian artists, with tunes by Kylie Minogue, Powderfinger, Nick Cave and Jimmy Barnes, and novels by Thomas Keneally and Peter Carey.

Greens senator Sarah Hanson-Young says Australia can't allow tech firms to'drain our power and water'. Greens senator Sarah Hanson-Young says Australia can't allow tech firms to'drain our power and water'. Australia'sleepwalking' into AI crisis and'tech bro free-for-all', says Greens senator Sarah Hanson Young's warning comes as David Pocock urges government to prevent firms using Australian content to train AI models Tue 23 Jun 2026 06.21 EDTFirst published on Tue 23 Jun 2026 05.16 EDT His call came as the Greens senator Sarah Hanson-Young called for a moratorium on the building and approval of new datacentres in Australia until "we get the regulations right". She said the nation was "sleepwalking" into an AI crisis and could hand tech companies a greenlight "to drain our power and water". Pocock used Senate question time on Tuesday to ask the government about intense lobbying from AI proprietors over possible new rules and regulations for Australian-made content - including suggestions Labor would create a new "carve out" or extend existing licensing arrangements.

Cybersecurity agencies from the Five Eyes alliance have issued a joint statement on AI after the US blocked Anthropic's much-hyped Fable. Cybersecurity agencies from the Five Eyes alliance have issued a joint statement on AI after the US blocked Anthropic's much-hyped Fable. Signal agencies in Australia, the US, the UK, New Zealand and Canada sound alarm after Trump blocks foreign nationals from Anthropic's Fable AI model Powerful AI models capable of devastating new cyber attacks on governments and businesses are mere months away, intelligence agencies for the Five Eyes have warned in a rare joint statement, urging leaders to "act now". The surprising public intervention by signals agencies for Australia, the US, the UK, New Zealand and Canada comes after the Trump administration earlier this month decided to block "foreign nationals" from using a much-hyped AI model built by tech company Anthropic, called Fable. The statement, issued late on Monday night, Sydney time, said while AI "would help us improve cyber defence over time, it also accelerates the speed, scale, and sophistication of cyber threats".