Joint media release with Assistant Minister for Science, Technology and the Digital Economy, Dr Andrew Charlton

The Albanese Labor Government is helping to keep Australians safe by establishing the Australian AI Safety Institute to evaluate emerging AI capabilities, share information and support timely actions to address potential risks.

There is significant opportunity for Australia in adopting AI – through attracting investment, harnessing its capabilities to improve work for Australians, boosting productivity and lifting living standards.

The Albanese Government is focused on calibrating Australia’s approach to AI carefully, in a way that maximises AI’s value and mitigates the risks.

AI is rapidly evolving and touches on every part of government, the economy and people’s lives. The Institute will provide a dynamic, fit-for-purpose capability that is responsive to AI’s pervasiveness and rapid evolution.

As AI technology evolves, the Institute will work across government to support best practice regulation, advise where updates to legislation might be needed and coordinate timely and consistent action to protect Australians.

The Government will ensure the Institute has capability to ensure AI companies are compliant with Australian law and uphold legal standards around fairness and transparency.

Australia already has strong, adaptive laws that support consumer rights, online safety, and fair competition.

This builds on the Albanese Labor Government’s commitment to keeping Australians and Australian children safe, by restricting deepfake pornographic content, AI “nudify” apps and undetectable online stalking tools.

Collaborating with domestic and international partners, including the National AI Centre and the International Network of AI Safety Institutes, the Institute will support global efforts to address AI risks and harms, and ensure AI development aligns with Australia’s values.

This includes delivering technical assessments, fostering bilateral and multilateral engagement on AI safety, and publishing research to inform industry, academia and the Australian people.

By operating transparently and responsively, the Institute will reinforce public confidence in both AI and the institutions responsible for its governance.

Keeping Australians safe from the potential harms of AI will be a key pillar of the upcoming National AI Plan, to be released before the end of 2025.

This announcement comes during Australia’s National AI Week, hosted by the National AI Centre. For more information on National AI Week, visit www.industry.gov.au/national-artificial-intelligence-centre/ai-week-2025.

Quotes attributable to Minister for Industry and Innovation and Minister for Science Tim Ayres:

“AI is already transforming the way we live and work.

“Adopted properly and safely, AI can revitalise industry, boost productivity and lift the living standards of all Australians.

“But there are two sides to this coin. While the opportunities are immense, we need to make sure we are keeping Australians safe from any malign uses of AI.

“The Albanese Labor Government is establishing the AI Safety Institute to provide the capability to assess the risks of this technology dynamically over time.

“The Institute will be the government’s hub of AI safety expertise. It will operate with transparency, responsiveness and technical rigour to make sure Australians are confident to use this game-changing technology safely.”

Quotes attributable to Assistant Minister for Science, Technology and the Digital Economy Dr Andrew Charlton:
“From social enterprise right through to government, AI is already helping organisations across the country lift productivity and deliver better services to Australians.

“That’s why we working closely with industry, business, unions and civil society to increase the uptake of AI in a way that is safe and responsible.

“The Australian AI Safety Institute (the Institute) will be an important capability in government, working directly with regulators to make sure we’re ready to safely capture the benefits of AI with confidence.

“The Institute will help identify future risks, enabling the government to respond to ensure fit-for-purpose protections for Australians.”