Australia’s Prime Minister Anthony Albanese staked out a cautious but assertive approach to artificial intelligence, pledging tighter planning rules for data centers, stronger copyright protections, and the creation of an AI office ahead of legislation targeted for early 2027. The plan aims to prevent hyperscale facilities from crowding out housing or straining local power and water systems, with operators footing the bill for needed infrastructure and safeguards against higher household energy costs. Albanese ruled out a text-and-data-mining exemption, signaling “the strongest possible protection” for creatives. Yet Canberra’s leverage over global platforms such as OpenAI, Google, Microsoft and Anthropic remains limited, echoing Australia’s struggles to rein in social media giants. The measured rollout—consistent with Albanese’s methodical style—drew criticism from former minister Ed Husic, who warned against a piecemeal legal framework. The government’s bet: build public trust and local industry benefits without stifling innovation, even as tech powerhouses set much of the pace.
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