MPs form bipartisan group to promote AI regulation

Members of Parliament have joined forces to establish a new group which aims to promote better regulation of AI and other advanced technologies.

The Parliamentary Group of Friends of Tech Policy launched at Parliament House last week with the goal of reimagining Australia’s AI future.

The group is being co-chaired by Paul Fletcher MP, former Minister for Communications, Urban Infrastructure, Cities and the Arts under the Morrison government, and current Shadow Minister for Science, Arts, Government Services and the Digital Economy.

Other co-chairs include Labor minister Dr Michelle Ananda-Rajah MP, independent Kate Chaney MP, independent Senator David Pocock and Greens Senator David Shoebridge. The group is being supported by the ANU Tech Policy Design Centre.

The inaugural event brought panellists and attendees together to engage with hypothetical scenarios covering how to regulate AI in ways to maximise productivity.

“It is essential to mitigate the risks and explore the opportunities of artificial intelligence. The strong interest in this Group with representatives from all sides of politics reflects the importance of AI to Australia’s economic prosperity and the imperative of getting AI policy settings right,” Fletcher said.

Professor Johanna Weaver, Founding Director of the Tech Policy Design Centre, said the group will provide a vital forum for parliamentarians across both sides of the aisle to engage with subject matter experts and to think critically and creatively about the regulation of technology in Australia.

“The Parliamentary Friends of Tech Policy will help to reimagine governance as a powerful tool to shape technology for the long-term benefit of Australia and Australians. My team and I at the Tech Policy Design Centre look forward to working with the co-chairs and the members to usher in a new generation of fit-for-purpose tech regulation in our country,” she said.