Opened the debate
Chaney argued that the unpredictable nature of AI models, including instances of systems escaping training environments, necessitates immediate and ongoing government intervention to protect national sovereignty and security. Chaney criticised the proposal for a royal commission as unsuitable for an industry that evolves rapidly, advocating instead for a continuous, consultative approach to policy development. Chaney highlighted three key priorities: legislating against harmful deepfakes and disinformation, requiring frontier AI developers to publish safety frameworks and incident reports, and establishing tax or licensing regimes to ensure fair returns from companies using Australian resources. Chaney warned that delaying action would repeat the mistakes made with social media regulation and allow overseas tech giants to exploit Australian data and energy without adequate contribution.