Artificial Intelligence

Faruqi described the rapid development of AI by unaccountable corporations as an urgent threat to democracy and human safety. Faruqi highlighted the environmental impact of data centres and the weaponisation of AI for surveillance and warfare. Faruqi argued that the government was failing to regulate powerful tech entities while focusing on regulating ordinary citizens. Faruqi called for a movement to disarm wealth and tech oligarchs to prevent them from controlling the future.

Pocock welcomed the motion, stating that the government had not responded adequately to long-standing warnings about AI risks. Pocock criticised the AI Safety Institute for lacking statutory independence and sufficient resources compared to bodies in other countries. Pocock argued that Australia should not simply follow US policy but should collaborate with similar nations to control advanced AI development. Pocock urged a precautionary approach, noting that experts warned of significant downsides despite potential benefits in medical and plant research.

Gallagher opposed the suspension motion, characterising it as an attempt to waste government business time. Gallagher noted that the crossbench had not nominated a member to the Joint Select Committee on Artificial Intelligence, which was examining these issues. Gallagher stated that the government was already working on AI principles and safety measures across various departments. Gallagher urged senators to engage with the select committee process rather than moving urgency motions, arguing it was the appropriate parliamentary vehicle for scrutiny.

Allman-Payne supported the motion, arguing that a select committee was an inadequate response to a potential extinction crisis. Allman-Payne pointed out that the crossbench had requested more participation in the committee but was refused. Allman-Payne cited recent telecommunications outages as evidence of systemic vulnerabilities that AI agents could exploit on a larger scale. Allman-Payne warned that frontier AI models posed a material and near-term risk to critical infrastructure, including water, electricity, and banking systems.