The Australian government initiated an unexpected eight-week consultation, seeking input on the extent of regulatory oversight it should impose on the AI sector. The consultation aims at exploring the possibility of ‘high-risk’ artificial intelligence tools and ascertain whether there is a need to impose a ban on such tools.
In recent times, various other regions such as the European Union, the United States and China have taken initiatives to comprehend and potentially address the risks linked with the rapid growth and development of AI.
The Industry and Science Minister Ed Husic announced on June 1, the publication of two papers: a discussion paper titled “Safe and Responsible AI in Australia” and a report on generative AI issued by the National Science and Technology Council. The paper comes following a consultation that will be in progress until July 26.
The government awaits feedback on how to hold-up
the “safe and responsible use of AI” and examine if it should take voluntary approaches such as an ethical framework or a mix of approaches. The paper emphasized the “beneficial” applications of AI in industries like healthcare, engineering, and law, while also addressing its “detrimental” uses, such as deepfake tools, the propagation of fake news, and instances where AI bots have encouraged self-harm.
According to the discussed paper, AI adoption in the country is considered “relatively low” due to “low levels of public trust.” The paper also outlined the implementation of AI regulations in other jurisdictions including Italy’s temporary ban on ChatGPT.
Additionally, the report examined worldwide AI regulation, provided instances of generative AI models, and expressed the belief that these models would have broad-ranging effects. It would encompass sectors such as banking, finance, public services, education, and creative industries.
