Albanese’s love of music is tested by AI

A cultural alliance under pressure

Albanese’s political base is tied to Sydney’s western suburbs, where he grew as a politician, and to the local music scene. The Whitlams began performing in the area and sang about blowing up poker machines. In 1998, Gough Whitlam presented the band with an ARIA Award, a moment that came to symbolize the alliance between the Labor Party and the creative community. The author traces its roots to the early 1970s, when Little Patty performed “It’s Time” at Bankstown Town Hall.

Later, this partnership supported Paul Keating’s broad vision for Australia’s future. Midnight Oil frontman Peter Garrett moved from music into politics and became a minister in Kevin Rudd’s government. Creative professionals also backed Australia’s first woman prime minister. And Albanese’s government, led by a fan of Australian music, helped the country emerge from lockdown, which had nearly destroyed the creative sector.

Now, the longstanding alliance is under threat. Albanese is trying to work out how Australia can develop AI while also managing its consequences: some see the technology as a major step forward, while others see a path to serious problems.

Anthropic’s proposal and the copyright dispute

Anthropic wants to build data centers in Australia and train models there. Under the company’s proposal, centers powered by renewable energy would send tokens to users around the world. The government believes the country can use the new technology while influencing its development by securing a place in the global AI production chain. For Australia, which needs an economic development plan for the period after mining, this is an attractive prospect.

But, according to the author, the models were trained on materials taken without creators’ permission: books, recordings, videos, scientific papers, and news website posts. Companies are now seeking retrospective forgiveness for using these materials. To establish their models in Australia, they are proposing weaker copyright protections. This could expose the country to international claims over the unlawful use of protected works. People in the creative sector fear Australia could become a global haven for “data laundering”—the Cayman Islands of copyright.

The government is trying to find a way through the dispute, but AI’s consequences extend beyond the question of what goes into training datasets. Models also reproduce what artists and other creators have spent years learning. Musician Nick Cave called this copying a parody.

Other professional communities are also raising concerns:

These concerns are compounded by data centers’ growing demand for energy and water. The head of the Reserve Bank of Australia has also noted that a rapid influx of capital adds to inflationary pressure. The author sees copyright as the central issue in this political conflict.

What creators are asking for

The creative community is a politically active force; it cannot be persuaded by calculations alone or made to accept change in silence. Authors and performers are acutely sensitive to the risk that their interests will be sacrificed for technology investment. Their discontent is heightened by Albanese’s promise to protect them, made in his widely discussed speech on AI in July.

The creative sector’s minimum demand is that authors retain control over their work and receive meaningful compensation for violations that have already occurred. But, in the author’s view, any agreement should go further. To support creativity, he proposes requiring clear labeling and active promotion of works created by humans, as well as a fair share for creators in the value models generate.

The author calls such an arrangement a cultural compact, drawing a parallel with the agreement Bob Hawke made with trade unions to help Australia navigate earlier, large-scale global changes.

Change in the creative sector

Australia’s creative industry was struggling even before AI arrived. Well-known acts still perform at Sydney’s Enmore Theatre, but the Sando pub, where bands once started out by playing on the bar, has changed direction: first it opened a mini-golf venue, and later a social darts club.

The author argues that what is happening should prompt change, not become a last-ditch effort to defend the old order. The creative community has five decades of moral influence over the Labor Party, which it can use to secure a responsible approach to AI. He also notes that Australia has a leader who recognizes the legitimacy of these demands. Ultimately, his vision is for the country to bring technology and culture together in ways that support culture as an essential part of democracy.

Peter Lewis is non-executive chair of Essential, a progressive strategic communications and research company that conducted qualitative research for the Labor Party at the last federal election. He hosts the weekly podcast Burning Platforms and publishes columns under the label Proudly Human.

Dataist’s take: For Australia, the dispute comes down to the terms on which it attracts AI companies. Anthropic’s proposal promises investment and the growth of a new industry, but also raises risks for copyright, creative work, and public resources. The author argues that any agreement should be judged not only by compensation for past use of works, but also by its rules for labeling and sharing future value.