Update: September 2026

The AAM welcomes the Prime Minister’s statement that “Australian writers, musicians, artists and journalists must retain ownership and control of their work,” the decision to rule out copyright exemptions for AI training, and the commitment to bring AI legislation to Parliament in early 2027.

This submission is about what happens next. Copyright protection is necessary but just the starting point. Copyright is a property right held by whoever owns or controls the work — which in music is very often not the artist or songwriter who made it. Copyright alone does not address the social and cultural implications of AI on our society, for multiple reasons.

• It does not reach First Nations knowledge held collectively.

• It does not address the concentration of power and the protections needed within markets to prevent fraud, inequity or abuse of power.

• It does not govern what an algorithm chooses to play (and this matters considering recommender systems are machine-learning systems).

• It does not address the economic effects on our music industries as AI slop floods digital service providers, diminishing the revenue pool authentic artists can draw from and further threatening ancillary income from lean-back opportunities like sync.

Australia has drawn a line on AI training; the framework that follows must hold that line for the culture the training was drawn from, not only for the assets.

Read the AAM’s latest submission to the Joint Select Committee on Artificial Intelligence (Long Version)

Update: July 15, 2026

Australia knows its worth, and today’s speech by Prime Minister Albanese on the future of AI in this country made that crystal clear, when he articulated without a shadow of a doubt, that in embracing this new age, “Australian writers, musicians, artists and journalists must retain ownership and control of their work.”

The AAM is relieved to have this stance reinforced by the government following many weeks of uncertainty. We also welcome the Prime Minister’s announcement of a new Office of AI, that will sit within his department, and incorporate - rather than absorb - the expertise of other portfolios, including Industry and Innovation; Science, Technology and the Digital Economy; Climate Change and Energy; Communications; Employment; Defence; Education; Treasury; and the Attorney-General’s Department, who has been facilitating consultation on copyright and artist protections where AI training is involved. While the work on protecting copyright will continue, it is important to reflect on the words of UNSW copyright law professor, Kathy Bowrey, when she said in an interview to the ABC, that "Copyright has never been a cultural policy". While the Office of the Arts was not explicitly mentioned by the Prime Minister in his speech today, the AAM will continue to advocate for the social and cultural implications of AI on our society, especially when it comes to Indigenous Cultural Intellectual Policy, but also as it relates to our distinct musical identities and ability to develop audiences who care about how their music is made. This could never be more relevant than at a time where AI labelling has just been introduced globally; a track allegedly made by AI has topped the AUS charts; and more education is needed – and at a faster pace – for both managers and artists alike.

A lot of these themes were covered in the AAM’s submission to the National Cultural Policy.

If you have any questions or comments, we are always open to hear from you. Please contact AAM Executive Director, Maggie Collins on maggie@aam.org.au.