After banning social media for teens, Australia now focuses on regulating AI

Australia’s government has unveiled its National AI Plan. On Tuesday (December 2), the government outlined a roadmap to push the national adoption of artificial intelligence (AI), confirming that it will rely on existing legal frameworks to manage emerging risks posed by the technology. This is essentially a step back from earlier signals that suggested tougher, specific AI laws. The details come soon after the company banned access to social media for users under 16 years of age.

The country’s AI plan details the government's strategy to harness the technology across the economy by focusing on three main pillars: attracting investment in advanced data centres, building AI skills to support and protect jobs, and ensuring public safety as AI integration accelerates, news agency Reuters reported.

Australia to rely on existing laws to manage risk

Despite previously having discussions about implementing voluntary guidelines and tighter controls on high-risk AI scenarios, the government stated it will leverage its current legislative foundation.

“The government's regulatory approach to AI will continue to build on Australia's robust existing legal and regulatory frameworks, ensuring that established laws remain the foundation for addressing and mitigating AI-related risks,” the National AI Plan stated, as per Reuters.

In this way, multiple government agencies and regulators will retain the primary responsibility for identifying and managing potential AI-related harms specific to their sectors. Meanwhile, federal industry minister Tim Ayres said the roadmap aims to ensure Australians can benefit from the new technology while striking a balance between innovation and risk management.

“As the technology continues to evolve, we will continue to refine and strengthen this plan to seize new opportunities and act decisively to keep Australians safe,” Ayres noted.

The plan follows the government's announcement last month that it would establish an AI Safety Institute in 2026. This institute is intended to help authorities monitor emerging risks and formulate responses to threats posed by increasingly prevalent generative AI tools like OpenAI's ChatGPT and Google's Gemini.