OpenAI and Anthropic Urge Australia to Relax AI Copyright Ban

AI developers OpenAI and Anthropic have urged the Australian government to relax restrictions on using the country's creative content to train artificial intelligence models. In submissions to a parliamentary inquiry in September, the companies argued that a narrow, conditional approval process would protect artists' rights while encouraging significant infrastructure investment in the region.

The Australian government has already ruled out broad copyright exemptions, a position supported by publishers and authors who oppose the use of their work without payment or consent. In response, Anthropic proposed a conditional approval system as an alternative to broad exceptions.

Both companies linked their requests to existing Australian projects. OpenAI has an offtake agreement with NextDC for a data centre in Sydney, while Anthropic is a partner in a project located in Queensland. The Joint Select Committee on Artificial Intelligence is conducting the inquiry and is expected to deliver its final report in November.