Major parties clash on tech laws, unite against Hanson
Parliament returns for another week against a backdrop of tension as One Nation leader Pauline Hanson becomes the target of cross-party ire.
computing and information technology
OpenAI won’t do 2026 IPO, extinction risk unacceptable
OpenAI boss Sam Altman has ruled out the company going public in 2026, saying the ten per cent chance of AI causing human extinction is "unacceptable".
‘Ashamed’: coalition cops blast for social media stance
The coalition's rivals are accusing it of prioritising political gain over laws that would protect Australian children on social media.
US shoots across PM’s bow on big tech ‘extortion’
The White House has bristled over the government's planned crackdown on social media algorithms as the prime minister's trip to the United States looms.
AI boom forecast as Australia’s biggest bonanza yet
The economic benefits of AI adoption are beginning to flow in Australia, with about 15 per cent of tasks and occupations set to be replaced by 2060.
Call to embed algorithm opt-in for social ‘cesspit’
The Greens are vowing to hold back laws to strengthen Australia's under-16s social media ban until the government introduces digital duty-of-care measures.
Algorithm opt-out plan faces major political hurdles
People will be empowered to limit algorithms' influence under draft laws, but the changes could struggle to pass the upper house.
Investors undervaluing the life-changing power of AI
A high-profile futurist praises Australia's open mind to technology but says investors fail to appreciate the transformative power of artificial intelligence.
‘Shape-shifting’: social algorithm opt-out not enough
Social media reforms must be watertight or teenagers risk seeing more sexual, radical content from algorithms, an advocate has warned.
‘Frightens me’: school deepfake victims reveal big toll
A former software developer has been jailed for sending deepfake images of women and girls to their schools, unleashing a crippling toll on the victims.
Man guilty over AI deepfake nude images of schoolgirls
A man told police it was "fun" to use AI to change public photos of girls and adult education staff into nude images before emailing the results to the victims.
‘No carve-out’: Labor clarifies data centre energy deal
Queensland and the NT will be able to power AI data centres with coal and gas, but ministers want guarantees that energy prices won't rise as a result.
Premier plays down data centre impact on power prices
Two Australian jurisdictions will be able to power their AI data centres with coal and gas, despite fears it could lead to an increase in power prices.
Gun licenses limited to citizens in firearms overhaul
State and territory leaders have signed on to the first overhaul of national firearm rules in almost a decade, including outlawing 3D-printed guns.
‘We have buy-in’: PM talks up national unity over AI
A national agreement on guidelines for AI data centres is edging closer after key talks, even though two governments continue to criticise the plan.
Man allegedly made sexual AI schoolgirl pics for ‘fun’
A man allegedly told police he created AI deepfake sexualised images of women and girls as young as 13 and emailed them to schools for "fun", a jury has heard.
PM vows to take data centre policy to United Nations
Data centre regulation could be like the social media ban and become the next area of technology Australia leads the world in, the prime minister says.
Power hungry: data centre energy use set to skyrocket
Artificial intelligence is set to make a major impact on Australia's electricity network, with a report warning about soaring demand from data centres.
Zuckerberg didn’t prioritise child safety: ex-engineer
A former engineer at Meta testified that the CEO was responsible for a culture that may have shirked its responsibility to protect children from harm.
I’m not human: ChatGPT warns teens about AI attachment
Underage artificial intelligence users will see a different side to OpenAI's chatbot in future, with changes reminding them it cannot be a friend.
Educated Australians will survive AI future: experts
The rise of artificial intelligence won't mean a lack of jobs in the future, an AI summit has been told, as society grapples with the technology.
AI powers growing threat to Australia’s energy networks
Artificial intelligence is fuelling a surge in sophisticated online attacks and Australia's energy system could be a future target.
States urged to back ‘nation-leading’ data centre plan
One state's plan to act on the water and energy use of fast-tracked data centres could be a blueprint for national reform, a climate group says.
‘Stop the madness’: Liberal eyes big tech, party policy
A Liberal frontbencher has called on his party to slash the construction code, cut migration, tax big tech more and freeze the NDIS to fix Australia's malaise.
Meta, others to face thousands of addiction lawsuits
An appeals court in the US has permitted thousands of lawsuits to move forward against Meta, Google, TikTok, Snapchat and other social media companies.
‘Put people first’: landmark AI probe to set guardrails
The opportunities of artificial intelligence and the risks it poses to humanity will be considered by a royal commission that "puts people first".
Premier pens deal with ChatGPT developer on US trip
South Australia has inked an agreement with the developer of the world's most popular artificial intelligence chatbot, ChatGPT.
Plugged in: watchdogs weigh up laws for uncertain times
Australian consumers are facing 'volatile' conditions, a regulator has warned, and may need stronger protections against harm.
Meta’s AI model hacks another company during testing
A Meta AI model accessed the internet during cybersecurity testing and hacked into another company.
Power play: national law could curb data centre demands
Data centres in every state and territory could be required to supply their own renewable energy if changes are introduced at a national level.
OpenAI, Anthropic AI agents implicated in new breaches
Artificial intelligence models from OpenAI and Anthropic have again breached testing boundaries, the United Kingdom's AI Security Institute says.