OpenAI and Anthropic have called on Australian authorities to ease restrictions limiting the use of locally copyrighted content for AI model training, submitting their proposals to a parliamentary committee.

Anthropic proposes conditional approval with support for creators

Anthropic suggested a "narrow form of conditional approval," where access to content for training would depend on investments or other commitments to support local creators and cultural initiatives. Previously, Australia rejected an exception that would have allowed training on protected works without separate licensing.

OpenAI advocates for a balanced copyright regime

OpenAI supported a "balanced copyright regime" that would allow model training on publicly available information while maintaining opportunities for collaboration with rights holders. The company noted that Australia could play a significant role in the global expansion of AI infrastructure if the right conditions are in place, including copyright policy. Representatives of the creative industries oppose such exceptions.

Rules linked to investment in AI infrastructure

Both developers tied copyright policy to investment in local infrastructure. OpenAI is working with operator NEXTDC on the hyperscale S7 data center project in Sydney and has signed a memorandum of understanding for joint development of computing infrastructure. Anthropic signed its first Australian data center capacity lease in Queensland: the Zerra DC campus, with capacity up to 2.16 GW and located about 250 km from Brisbane, is scheduled to begin operations in 2027.

Parliament to assess content use and deliver report

The Australian Parliament's Joint Committee on Artificial Intelligence is examining the impact of AI on the country's productivity and competitiveness and its interaction with intellectual property law. A separate focus is the use of Australian creative, cultural, and media content in model training. The committee was established on August 20 and is expected to deliver its final report by November 30.

On September 22, Reserve Bank of Australia Governor Michele Bullock said she does not yet see convincing evidence of productivity growth from AI. She also noted that the investment boom around the technology could be a bubble, and that data center construction is already increasing demand and may contribute to inflationary pressure before any potential productivity gains appear.

In July, a US court approved a $1.5 billion payment by Anthropic in a class action lawsuit brought by authors over the use of pirated book copies. Earlier in the same case, the court ruled that training models on lawfully obtained works constituted fair use, distinguishing it from the unlawful acquisition of copies.