Artists in Albanese's own electorate unite against AI access proposal
Creative workers in Grayndler, the Sydney seat of Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, oppose a government proposal that would let AI companies use Australians' works by default. The copyright changes are being weighed as part of a wider AI reform package.
Discontent is growing in Grayndler, the Sydney inner-west electorate of Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, over a federal government proposal on copyright. The Labor government is considering giving artificial intelligence (AI) companies default access to works Australians publish online, as it seeks a compromise with US tech giants. Local creative workers have reacted with dismay.
A seat full of creatives
Grayndler is home to more than 3,000 cultural and creative businesses, and 10% of its workers are employed in those fields, against 4.2% nationally. Albanese has held the seat with a safe margin for three decades.
The copyright changes are being considered within a broader set of AI reforms covering datacentres, energy and the economy. Albanese has promised "the strongest possible protection" and warned it would be "theft" if creators were not paid. AI companies, however, have asked for weaker copyright rules. Some say licensing deals under current law would be too difficult, while Anthropic has suggested an opt-out model, allowing content to be scraped unless a rights holder objects. Coalition senators and the recording industry have warned this could amount to the government acquiring property. Draft laws are expected by the end of the year, with parliament to consider them in 2027.
Reaction from local artists
Pete Strong, a screenprinter and Greens councillor for Bayside, said he is completely against the proposal and described the AI industry as an "extraction industry mining for profit for the few". Designer and artist Lu Campbell-Smith, who finds AI useful in her work, called having to opt out "outrageous". H Morgan-Harris, director of Tortuga Studios, warned the Australian creative ecosystem could be "decimated". Jason Zoidberg, co-founder of Monster Mouse Studios in Marrickville, said the AI industry had already taken artists' collective labour without consequence, though he noted growing attendance at his hands-on workshops.
Political backdrop
At the next federal election, Albanese will be challenged by 28-year-old Hannah Ferguson, co-founder of Cheek Media, running as an independent. Guardian Australia's latest Essential poll puts his disapproval rating at 56%, equal to the highest since he took office.
