AI companies want to water down Australia's copyright laws. Artists are outraged, Labor is split

Australian artists and authors are warning the Albanese government against weakening copyright protections after lobbying from artificial intelligence companies and a whistleblower tip to independent senator David Pocock. The federal government ruled out a text and data mining exemption for AI firms in October following a Productivity Commission report and creative sector backlash. Attorney General Michelle Rowland then began fresh consultations on options including a paid licensing model. Pocock said his office was tipped off in late June about an industry proposal for a copyright carve-out in exchange for at least $50 billion in datacentre investment and a $350 million annual fund for creatives. He described the proposal as the "ultimate dirty deal" and demanded Labor rule it out. The government rejected Pocock's claims as inaccurate and repeated it had no plans to weaken copyright laws. Industry and government sources poured cold water on a reported deal with Anthropic. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese is expected to deliver a speech Wednesday on AI regulation. Senior Labor sources say ministers remain split on copyright reform. Industry Minister Tim Ayres and Assistant Minister Andrew Charlton favor attracting AI investment while Rowland and Arts Minister Tony Burke prioritize creative rights. Former industry minister Ed Husic said the government should not bow to pressure from US tech firms and has the ability to set terms for datacentre development.