Australia Says Tougher Laws Needed to Regulate AI, Considers Banning Deepfakes

Australia was among the first countries to regulate AI, unveiling a voluntary ethics framework in 2018.

By Reuters | Updated: 1 June 2023 12:50 IST

Australia Says Tougher Laws Needed to Regulate AI, Considers Banning Deepfakes

Photo Credit: Reuters

European lawmakers last month inched closer to pass a law to regulate AI

Highlights

AI-generated content could be misused in parliamentary consultations
The move comes on the heels of a meeting of top AI executives
Australia would also consider banning high-risk elements of AI

Australia said on Thursday it planned to regulate artificial intelligence (AI) including a potential ban on deepfakes and realistic-looking but false content, amid concerns the technology could be misused.

The move comes on the heels of a meeting of top AI executives earlier this week when they raised the "risk of extinction from AI" and urged policymakers to equate it to risks posed by pandemics and nuclear war.

"There is clearly, in the community, a concern about whether or not the technology is getting ahead of itself," Industry and Science Minister Ed Husic told ABC television.

Delhi Will Have an AI-Based Traffic System by End of 2024, Says Official

A report by Australia's National Science and Technology Council released on Thursday showed AI-generated content could be misused in parliamentary consultations by creating a flood of submissions to mislead public opinion.

"Governments have got a clear role to play in recognising the risk and ... putting curbs in place," Husic said.

Australia was among the first countries to regulate AI, unveiling a voluntary ethics framework in 2018.

Baidu's New $145 Million Venture Capital Fund Will Back AI Startups

Husic acknowledged gaps remained in laws covering copyright, privacy and consumer protection, and said the government wanted to ensure its legal frameworks were "fit for purpose" given the rapid development of the AI sector.

European lawmakers last month inched closer to pass a law to regulate AI, potentially the world's first comprehensive AI law that could form a precedent among advanced economies.

Husic said Australia would also consider banning high-risk elements of AI if there was strong demand for it during public consultations to frame the new laws.

Denmark PM Delivers Speech Written by ChatGPT to Highlight Risks of AI

Samsung Galaxy A34 5G was recently launched by the company in India alongside the more expensive Galaxy A54 5G smartphone. How does this phone fare against the Nothing Phone 1 and the iQoo Neo 7? We discuss this and more on Orbital, the Gadgets 360 podcast. Orbital is available on Spotify, Gaana, JioSaavn, Google Podcasts, Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music and wherever you get your podcasts.

(This story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)

Affiliate links may be automatically generated - see our ethics statement for details.

Comments

For the latest tech news and reviews, follow Gadgets 360 on X, Facebook, WhatsApp, Threads and Google News. For the latest videos on gadgets and tech, subscribe to our YouTube channel. If you want to know everything about top influencers, follow our in-house Who'sThat360 on Instagram and YouTube.