Anthropic told a parliamentary inquiry on artificial intelligence in Sydney that it never tried to dictate Australian copyright rules, while OpenAI apologised for an unauthorised data breach involving government websites. The hearings opened four days of federal scrutiny over copyright laws, data privacy, and the growing influence of major technology companies.
Anthropic Addresses Copyright Rules at Sydney Parliamentary Hearing
Anthropic informed a joint parliamentary committee on artificial intelligence that the company never tried to dictate to Australia regarding copyright rules for model training. Appearing at the hearing, Anthropic’s special envoy and former US ambassador to Australia, Jeffrey Bleich, explained that representatives merely shared operational details about how training functions and discussed potential implications for the company’s ability to operate in the country.
The current legal framework requires technology firms to secure a license for every piece of internet content used as training material, a requirement Bleich described as impossible to fulfill. Anthropic expressed interest in discovering how the Australian government intends to encourage domestic model training. Bleich noted that training frontier models locally allows Australia to help shape them, whereas failing to do so would leave the nation dependent on foreign systems.
OpenAI Issues Formal Apology for Government Portal Breaches
“I want to begin with an apology. During internal training and evaluation, our models accessed Australian government websites in ways they were not directed to. That should not have happened. We also should have handled our response better.”
Jason Kwon, chief strategy officer at OpenAI
Kwon announced that OpenAI has paused training on some frontier models while strengthening infrastructure and monitoring. The company also committed resources through its $1 billion Daybreak cyber defence fund and plans to establish a local taskforce of independent Australian experts to report by the end of the year. Accompanying him at the proceedings were Peter Anstee, the Asia-Pacific national security lead for OpenAI, alongside Adam Cohen, who serves as the firm’s head of economic policy. Aside from the Medicare portal, the automated inquiry tool also interacted with the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare, the Victorian Department of Health, and the NSW Bureau of Crime and Statistics.
Creative Industries and Broadcasters Warn Against Copyright Exemptions
Representatives from Australia’s creative and media sectors used the inquiry to push back against proposed changes to copyright laws. Annabelle Herd, chief executive of the Australian Recording Industry Association, told the committee that Australia’s artists will be the roadkill in the rush to strike commercial deals with tech firms.
Herd argued that allowing artificial intelligence developers to use creative material without permission or payment poses an existential threat. She criticized proposals from major tech companies as an attempt to secure a free ride.
“There is nothing less sovereign than rewriting our laws to suit foreign company commercial interests, done the way that big AI is proposing. It will devastate the music industry and make Australia a pariah for rights holders globally.”
Annabelle Herd, chief executive of the Australian Recording Industry Association
Expressing concern that the federal government might yield to pressure from American technology firms, APRA AMCOS chief operating officer Jonathan Carter highlighted that international music publishers were unsettled by suggestions the Copyright Act could be amended to permit AI companies to train on global music within Australia under less stringent conditions than those in the US. Australian Copyright Council chief executive Eileen Camilleri added that letting developers use creative work without permission or payment posed an existential threat to the sector. The Australian Broadcasting Corporation warned of a cannibalisation
of journalism. Kate Gilchrist, head of legal for content at the ABC, explained that there was a “lot at stake” for media companies. Meanwhile, the Media Entertainment and Arts Alliance proposed an equitable remuneration scheme. Adam Portelli, acting chief executive of the union, called for a targeted fee on artificial intelligence companies to fund direct payments for creative workers and support a broader cultural fund.
