Senate Inquiry Criticizes Big Tech AI Practices

An Australian Senate inquiry has accused Amazon, Google, and Meta of exploiting local data to train their AI models without adequate transparency or compensation for Australian creators. Chaired by Labor senator Tony Sheldon, the inquiry's final report described these tech giants as 'pirates,' profiting from Australian culture and data while evading accountability. It recommended that general-purpose AI models, such as OpenAI's GPT, Meta's Llama, and Google's Gemini, be classified as 'high risk' and subject to mandatory transparency measures. The inquiry highlighted the need for standalone AI legislation to protect individual rights and suggested compensatory mechanisms for creative workers impacted by AI's use of their work. Despite the companies' evasiveness during hearings, the report emphasized the urgent necessity for new laws to address the inadequacies of existing regulations regarding AI. Organizations in the creative sector have welcomed the report's recommendations, advocating for clear guidelines and protections against the misuse of their work in AI development.