Smart glasses ban looms in AI sweep
As the prime minister flies to the US for talks on reducing online harm, Canberra will be busy with a raft of inquiries and talks aimed at tackling AI threats.
Smart glasses could be banned from public service offices in Australia in a world-first as part of measures being considered by the government to protect against abuse of artificial intelligence.
As Prime Minister Anthony Albanese heads to the US on Friday for key talks on international measures to prevent online harm and meet the challenges posed by AI, Public Service Minister Katy Gallagher will lead efforts to ban or limit the use of glasses capable of recording in government departments.
“AI presents an enormous opportunity for Australia for our economy, for workers and for the jobs of the future,” Albanese said in a statement.
“But we must make sure this growth happens in a way that works for Australians and in our national interest. That means attracting investment and backing innovation, while putting the right protections in place as technology evolves.”
Also on Friday, Employment Minister Amanda Rishworth will chair of roundtable of key employers in the bid to adopt a national best-practice guidance for AI use in Australian workplaces.
”To realise the potential productivity gains from AI, workers and businesses need the capability to adopt new technologies with confidence that appropriate safeguards are in place,” Rishworth said in a statement ahead of the roundtable, which will be attended by employers including Commonwealth Bank, Microsoft, AGL, Telstra and Kmart.
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The moves come a day after big tech companies told the federal government that Australia needs to slow down its artificial intelligence use and create better security laws.
In a submission to an ongoing inquiry, OpenAI said national leaders had a responsibility to work with other countries to stop global security threats.
“Many of the most consequential risks will not stop at national borders, making international co-ordination increasingly important,” the company said.
It said Australia was in a narrow “defender’s window” during which it could use the technology to find and fix cybersecurity threats, rather than create them.
Tech giant Atlassian, which runs AI system Rovo, used its submission to urge the government to bolster its laws.
International standards and work already undertaken overseas should be used to protect Australian consumers, it said.
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The comments come after OpenAI’s chief executive Sam Altman and Elon Musk displayed rare unity in backing Anthropic’s head Dario Amodei, who called for a slowdown in “reckless” AI development through a three-part essay.
Government departments will front the inquiry on Friday and are likely to be probed on their security measures.
One person set to appear, Australian Signals Directorate director-general Abigail Bradshaw, warned earlier this week that intelligence and security agencies needed to work with AI companies to identify early risks.
“What we are missing at the moment, which we have in a cyber context but we don’t yet have in a formalised AI context, is an early warning system,” she told an Australian Strategic Policy Institute event.
Australia’s outdated technology was little match for potential hacking as machines grew smarter, which she said needed to be addressed proactively.
Despite that, the intelligence agency has followed dozens of other government departments in beginning to use AI to streamline efficiency.
In a busy day for the AI scene in Canberra on Friday, Treasurer Jim Chalmers will provide a preview regarding the controversial technology from next week’s 2026 Intergenerational Report.
Dr Chalmers is expected to examine what AI means for productivity, jobs and investment over the next four decades.
The Office of AI is also due to launch public consultation on the development of AI standards for the nation.
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