Labor and the Coalition are poised to take a reckless gamble on AI. Haven’t they realised community support has collapsed? | Edward Santow and Sarah Sacher
A new opinion piece argues that Australia's two major parties are converging on a pro-AI policy stance even as public trust in AI continues to fall, with only 30% of Australians last year believing its benefits outweigh its risks. The authors contend that workers want government protection from AI harms, not a political bet on the technology.
Why this matters: Both major Australian parties moving in the same direction on AI sounds like mature governance. It can also mean there is nobody left to push back. When political consensus forms faster than public trust, the people most exposed to AI decisions at work have fewer places to turn. Australian workers did not get a vote on this bet. If the community is already skeptical and trust is still dropping, building policy momentum now without stronger protections is a choice with real costs for real people.
Who should care: AI governance · Lawyers · Administrators · General readers · Policy
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