Labor MP Ed Husic calls for stricter AI and copyright rules

Labor MP Ed Husic has warned that any attempt to relax copyright law to favour artificial‑intelligence companies would “go against the ethos” of the party. Speaking ahead of Prime Minister Anthony Albanese’s major speech on AI, Husic urged his colleagues to adopt stricter rules on big‑tech firms or risk “doomed to failure.” He called for the government to protect creative works from being used to train AI models without proper safeguards.

The call comes after the Media Entertainment & Arts Alliance – the union representing journalists, artists and other creatives – urged the government to enact tougher copyright legislation. The union’s appeal stresses that current protections are insufficient to prevent the unlicensed use of creative content by AI developers, which could undermine the livelihoods of artists and the integrity of the creative sector. The debate highlights growing concerns over the balance between fostering technological innovation and safeguarding intellectual property rights.