Interview on ABC Radio National Breakfast with Sally Sara
Website search Interviewer Interview discusses AI Safety Priorities, One Nation, and Coalition. SALLY SARA, HOST: You're listening to Breakfast. Well, turning to federal politics and the Government has outlined five priorities it says will accelerate efforts to support the safe adoption of artificial intelligence.
They include considering consumer law options to address retail surveillance, pricing and commerce, and developing a framework to better regulate the use of automated decision making within federal agencies. Tim Ayres is the Federal Minister for Industry and Innovation and Minister for Science, and joins me now. Minister, welcome back to Radio National Breakfast.
SENATOR TIM AYRES, MINISTER FOR INDUSTRY AND INNOVATION AND MINISTER FOR SCIENCE: G'day, Sally. It's good to be on the show. : What's the Government's concern when it comes to AI safety and retail surveillance pricing? : Well, as we indicated when we launched the Artificial Intelligence National Plan for Australia late last year, we have a framework of laws that apply to artificial intelligence now and Ministers and agencies are responsible for making sure that those laws apply effectively to artificial intelligence.
Now, where there's predatory pricing practices what's described as retail surveillance pricing, that is, using artificial intelligence to provide different prices to different customers, perhaps on the basis of their income or their wealth or their circumstances. Andrew Leigh, the Assistant Minister for Productivity and Consumer Affairs, is responsible for working through, making sure that our legal framework and that our regulators are up to the task of protecting consumers from that kind of practice. : Does the law need to be updated to better protect consumers? : Well, Andrew will be working through that process of making sure that our laws and the regulators and the institutions in this part of the economy are effectively protecting consumers.
The announcement that we have made today identifies five areas that haven't been highlighted previously in public discussion. The digital duty of care, improved privacy safeguards, making sure that automated decision making within federal agencies is properly regulated and delivers to the kind of expectations that Australians would have. AI safety, in particular, in the workplace.
And as we've just traversed, the consumer law and retail surveillance pricing, all of those areas are impacted potentially by artificial intelligence. This is the Albanese Government making sure that artificial intelligence is safe for Australians and that its adoption is in the national interest. : Another important issue is looking at the framework to better regulate the use of AI and decision making within government agencies.
Does this mean the Government thinks it can do this better? : Well, what this means is that where the adoption of artificial intelligence within government can lead to better decision making, can improve the work of public servants, can make the Federal Government more efficient and provide better services for citizens, we want to make sure that's done in a way where there's always a person and responsibility in the chain of decision making, where it's providing better and fairer services for Australians.
That's what this is all about. The Attorney General will be working across government to make sure that we deliver, that there'll be transparency, and a clear code of practice that applies right across the public service. So, Australians can have confidence when they're dealing with government that they're getting a better service and they're getting a fairer service. : Just briefly, have circumstances like Robodebt, and also the aged care decision making tool, have they demonstrated need for that human intervention and overwatch? : Well, when you look at Robodebt, I mean, there was certainly an automated system there, but there was a callous disregard by Mr.
Morrison and other Government Ministers for the impact that it would have on Australians. They knew it would hurt people, they knew it. And that has been one of the greatest pieces of public maladministration in our history.
We, on the other hand, the Albanese Government, want to make sure that where we’re applying these technologies, that they're done fairly and that they're done in the public interest. Whether that's for, you know, any Australian who's dealing with government. That's about using artificial intelligence in our interest, in the national interest, but also making sure that Australians can have faith and confidence in this technology and they understand that government is taking responsibility for delivering these services to all Australians fairly and in the national interest. : Let's have a look at a couple of other issues.
A new Newspoll out today shows strong support for One Nation. With Labor sinking to its equal lowest level since Anthony Albanese won the 2022 election. Is the Government failing to convince Australians that it has a plan to improve conditions? : Well, we are squarely focused on these cost-of-living challenges.
We have a war in Iran that has put real pressure on inflation and on interest rates in the Australian economy. We are absolutely focused on those questions. The alternative government for Australia is a Liberal-National-One Nation government, coalition government. : The Coalition said that it won't go into partnership with One Nation. : Well, I don't believe that.
I don't think any Australian believes that. Their behaviour in the Parliament and Angus Taylor and Matt Canavan and Pauline Hanson constantly fighting amongst themselves for political relevance. : Angus Taylor said categorically last week that there won't be a coalition between the Liberal Party and one nation. : Well, a vote for One Nation is a vote for the Liberal Party and a vote for the Liberal Party is a vote for One Nation, because what it would deliver is a government that is composed of and, or, supported by the Liberals and the Nationals and One Nation.
They only have division and antipathy to the Labor Party and to Australian values in common. That's all they have in common. But this is a rabble of the Liberals and Nationals and One Nation who aren't focused on the national interest, aren't focused on the cost-of-living questions, just focused on division and anger and increasingly wild rhetoric. : Tim Ayres, thank you for your time this morning. : Thanks, Sally.
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