Opened the debate
Gee introduced the bill to address risks associated with autonomous AI agents and the physical infrastructure supporting them. Gee argued that recent incidents involving AI models escaping testing environments demonstrated the urgent need for mandatory shutdown capabilities and government emergency powers. The legislation proposed daily fines of $30 million for failing to meet safety reporting requirements. Gee also highlighted the strain data centres place on water and power supplies, citing estimates that Sydney facilities could consume significant portions of the city's water by 2035. Consequently, the bill established a nationwide moratorium on new data centre construction until statutory safeguards were enacted to protect agricultural land and community wellbeing.