Australia Lacks Agility to Adequately Address Rise in AI Capabilities, Warns Greens Senator
Greens Senator David Shoebridge has expressed his concerns about the lack of agility in the Australian federal parliament regarding AI development risks.
During an online event on AI safety, Shoebridge highlighted the challenge of parliament responding quickly enough to emerging threats.
He emphasized the need for swift action, stating that lengthy processes hinder effective regulation deployment in the AI space.
Shoebridge called for parliament to be more nimble and adequately supported to address these pressing issues.
Despite some attention to AI safety work, Shoebridge noted a lack of substantial progress.
The senator questioned the parliament’s output in terms of AI legislation, regulatory bodies, and resource agencies.
In response, Shoebridge proposed a standalone “AI Act” to establish guardrails and a national regulator specifically focused on AI safety.
This national AI regulator would consist of a team of experts to evaluate high-risk AI deployments and ensure real-time risk identification.
Additionally, the Greens suggest the creation of a “digital rights commissioner” to oversee digital rights and the impacts of AI on those rights.
Shoebridge emphasized the importance of accountability and protection of data privacy in AI deployments.
Legal expert Jisoo Kim highlighted the challenges of liability in AI automation processes and the need for robust regulations and monitoring to ensure system safety and accountability.
