Albanese made the comments during a press conference at Apple Park Visitor Center, after a closed‑door meeting with Apple executive chairman Tim Cook and senior Apple executives, where the Australian leader also highlighted the need for international rules governing artificial intelligence.
The proposal, which would let AI companies use existing works for training unless rights holders opt out, has drawn sharp criticism from Australian writers, artists and other creatives who argue it would erode the fundamental protections of copyright law.
Creative figures such as Booker‑prize‑winning author Richard Flanagan warned that the model would shift the burden onto creators, forcing them to take proactive steps to protect their works, rather than requiring AI firms to obtain permission first.
AI developers, including Anthropic, OpenAI and Google DeepMind, have previously said Australia’s current copyright framework hampers their investment plans, and they view an opt‑out system as a way to reduce compliance costs.
Albanese said the Australian government will introduce legislation establishing national AI standards before the end of the year, part of which will address intellectual‑property protection, and stressed that “sitting on the sideline is not an option” as the technology becomes a global phenomenon.
The remarks come as Australia prepares to join a coalition of middle‑power nations at the United Nations this week, seeking to shape a multilateral framework for AI governance amid a broader strategic rivalry between the United States and China.
While Albanese acknowledged the risks of handing too much power to tech companies, he argued that coordinated international action is needed to “mitigate” those risks, a point he said is already being discussed among leaders attending the UN General Assembly in New York.