Prime Minister Anthony Albanese revealed his government’s “Australian Standards for AI” in a Sydney University speech today. As things stand, the “clear, consistent, and mandatory” requirements at hand are still in the works; with related consultations underway, the corresponding legislation is tentatively set to arrive in Parliament early next year.

But in general, the framework will aim to enable the island nation to capitalize on the “generational opportunity that AI represents,” including with “greater clarity and speed for approvals,” according to the prime minister.

“But let me make this crystal clear: Not everything produced in Australia is up for grabs,” the prime minister said. “Not at all. Australian writers, musicians, artists, and journalists must retain ownership and control of their work. Our laws will spell that out, plain as day.

“An artist’s creative endeavor is their work and their property. No company should use Australian books, music, art, or news to build or train AI without the artist’s control. That includes the artist’s control of the price and value of their work. Anything less is theft,” he continued.

“Today, the Australian Prime Minister reaffirmed a principle that matters to creators everywhere: an artist’s creative endeavour is their work and their property,” said Australasian Music Publishers’ Association Limited (AMPAL) CEO Damian Rinaldi.

“Australia has demonstrated that AI innovation and copyright protection can go hand in hand. We now look forward to working with the Australian Government, AI companies and our international colleagues to turn that principle into practical licensing solutions.

“Copyright remains non-negotiable, but music publishers are ready to negotiate fair licences,” he concluded.

Meanwhile, International Confederation of Music Publishers (ICMP) director general John Phelan likewise voiced support for the framework, as did the Media Entertainment & Arts Alliance (MEAA) and others.

Last week, organizations including the RIAA and A2IM announced a track-level “labeling program” for AI audio on DSPs, and it’s not exactly a secret that multiple training-focused legal battles are underway.

Said battles include the AFM’s complaint against Universal Music and Warner Music; major music publishers’ Anthropic suits; and, in Germany, GEMA’s Suno action, which is expected to deliver a decision on July 31st.