Australians are demanding stronger rules for artificial intelligence companies amid growing fears about AI-generated misinformation, cybercrime and privacy risks, as research reveals half of Aussies think the dangers outweigh the benefits of the tech. Source: Daily Telegraph.
The Twiggy Forrest-backed SafeAI initiative polled 2300 Australians and found an even 50 per cent now believe the risks of AI outweigh the benefits, up from 46 per cent at the same time last year. Fewer than a third – 32 per cent – think the opposite.
AI-generated mis- and disinformation, and criminal misuse and cybercrime are equal top concerns, but even the lowest-ranked fears – like the risk of AI becoming conscious and ending humanity – are still moderately or very concerning for 76 per cent of those surveyed.
Most Australians want the government to step in with a “balanced” approach to regulating AI, the SafeAI research found, but an increasing proportion now favour “strict rules that limit risk, even if it slows innovation”, up from 28 per cent in August 2025 to 39 per cent in September.
Minderoo Foundation campaigns director Sam Calabrese said Australians want to “trust that someone has their hand on the steering wheel, when it comes to AI safety,” and getting it right will “unlock permission from the public to really make the most of … AI”.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese on Tuesday outlined some of the measures his government intends to enact, including establishing an AI regulator which would be able to penalise AI companies that fail to comply with safety obligations.
Frontier AI labs would also be required to allow independent evaluation of their models, under the proposed Australian standards, and notify the Australian Government “rapidly” about any incidents.
FULL STORY
Half of all Aussies believe AI risks outweigh the benefits, new research finds (By Eilidh Sproul-Mellis, Daily Telegraph)
