Australia plans six frontier AI duties and a new regulator

Australia’s government plans to legislate mandatory safety and security protections for frontier AI companies operating in the country, with a targeted regulator to enforce them.

The proposed regulator would have power to impose significant penalties for noncompliance. The government has not specified penalty amounts, commencement dates or the threshold for deciding which companies would be covered, and it has not published legislation. More detail is due after further work and consultation, so the announcement is a legislative plan rather than enacted law.

The proposal sets out six obligations for covered companies:

1. Maintain security controls throughout model development and deployment.
2. Identify and manage serious risks associated with their models.
3. Allow independent evaluation of their models.
4. Rapidly notify the Australian government about incidents.
5. Maintain and publish safety and security frameworks covering governance, risk management and transparency.
6. Respond to updated standards and rules as the technology changes.

As standards evolve, the regulator would work with the Australian AI Safety Institute. The institute sits within the Department of Industry, Science and Resources and is not itself a regulator. Its role is to provide technical information, testing, analysis and insights to support regulators and government agencies.

The government describes frontier AI as the most sophisticated models at the leading edge of current technological capability. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said Australia should pursue AI’s opportunities while preparing for the risks of rapidly advancing technology.