Disquiet grows in Albanese’s back yard as Grayndler artists unite against ‘insane’ AI proposal
Summary
Artists and creative workers in Anthony Albanese’s Grayndler electorate are opposing a possible change to Australian copyright law that could let AI companies use online work unless creators opt out. The government says it is considering reforms and expects to release draft laws by the end of 2026, with parliamentary consideration planned for 2027.Key Facts
- Grayndler has more than 3,000 cultural and creative businesses, and 10% of its workers are employed in creative fields, compared with 4.2% nationally.
- The proposed AI reforms are part of a broader package covering data centres, energy and the economy.
- Anthropic has suggested an opt-out model that would allow content scraping unless rights holders object.
- Some AI companies say licensing under current copyright law would be too difficult for training their models.
- Albanese has said creatives should receive the strongest possible protection and described unpaid use of their work as theft.
- Artist and Greens councillor Pete Strong opposes the proposal and says creators’ work could be taken and used without permission.
- Designer and artist Lu Campbell-Smith says requiring creators to opt out is unacceptable, though she has found AI useful in her own work.
- Draft laws are expected by the end of 2026, and parliament is expected to consider them in 2027.
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