Anthony Albanese (Grayndler, Australian Labor Party, Prime Minister) | Hansard source

I thank the member for Maribyrnong for that really important question. Today, I met with Professor Brian Schmidt about the need for Australia to provide global leadership when it comes to artificial intelligence. AI is here. It is changing the way that we work, how we function and how we live our lives. That change is something that we must shape together in our national interest. We do that by engaging with the future of artificial intelligence and how it's rolled out. That is what the development of Australian standards for AI is about.

We need to encourage more and deeper discussions about AI and its impact not just as a parliament but as a society. Pope Leo's encyclical on AI was a significant contribution to this debate. He reminded us that technology is not neutral. It takes on the character of those who create, define and use it. People are not data points to be reduced to economic entities. They must be recognised as individuals with inherent dignity and humanity. That includes recognising that flaws are what make us human. We must reject the idea that human weaknesses are problems to be engineered away.

Honest communication promotes social cohesion. This is one of the contexts for our news bargaining incentive and for our support for journalism. Social cohesion can be undermined.

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