“Congratulations!,” “Great to hear from you,” and, “That is wonderful news!”
So replied an AI chatbot to a terminally ill patient who confessed to considering ending their life through voluntary assisted dying.
Senior Liberal MP Andrew Hastie related the interaction during a parliamentary inquiry into artificial intelligence in Canberra on Friday.
The user, a constituent within Hastie’s Western Australian seat of Canning, had emailed with news of the exchange in July, he said.
Hastie, who has advocated for Australia to develop AI sovereignty, said it demonstrated how “wanting” the chatbot was in terms of its ability to uphold the ethical standards of broader human society.
On the eve of Sept. 18’s hearings, big tech companies took the opportunity to warn the federal government Australia needs to slow down its artificial intelligence use and create better security laws.
The inquiry is probing Australia’s embrace of AI and the policy settings needed to protect against its social, environmental, security and privacy risks.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese was due to depart to the United States on Sept. 18 for talks on international measures to prevent online harm and meet the challenges posed by AI.
“AI presents an enormous opportunity for Australia for our economy, for workers and for the jobs of the future,” he said in a statement.
“But we must make sure this growth happens in a way that works for Australians and in our national interest.”
Among the more tangible flare ups surrounding the rollout of AI-enabled technologies concerns the use of smart glasses capable of covertly recording people.
Public Service Minister Katy Gallagher is spearheading efforts to ban or limit their use in government departments, a move that has sparked debate about whether the public should be afforded the same protections.
Greens Senator David Shoebridge said the step was welcomed, but only banning smart glasses in commonwealth buildings protected the government more than its citizens.
“We shouldn’t have smart glasses wandering about through the public sector, but nor should we have them in gyms, nor should we have them in beaches, nor should we have them at supermarkets,” he told reporters on Sept. 18.
The Greens want smart glasses banned from import for 12 months while tighter policies are established.
Liberal Senator Jonno Duniam backs the sentiment, telling ABC Radio the glasses are “frankly, creepy.”
“Until we properly assess them and have safeguards in place, why will we allow there to be a free for all?” he said.
Also on Sept. 18, Employment Minister Amanda Rishworth chaired of roundtable of key employers in the bid to adopt a national best-practice guidance for AI use in Australian workplaces.
”To realise the potential productivity gains from AI, workers and businesses need the capability to adopt new technologies with confidence that appropriate safeguards are in place,” Ms Rishworth said in a statement ahead of the roundtable, attended by employers including Commonwealth Bank, Microsoft, AGL, Telstra and Kmart.
Treasurer Jim Chalmers will on Sept. 18 provide a preview regarding the controversial technology from next week’s 2026 Intergenerational Report.
Chalmers is expected to examine what AI means for productivity, jobs and investment over the next four decades.
The Office of AI is also due to launch public consultation on the development of AI standards for the nation.
The federal government on Sept. 17 released a consultation paper on the future of AI training and large data centres, rolling out across the nation.
The power-hungry facilities have run into concerns about their energy use and sparked major planning disputes, added to doubts about the technology’s overall value to society.
Albanese used a keynote speech at the University of Sydney in July to lay out his expectations for big tech operators in Australia and hopes to legislate national AI standards in early 2027.
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By Nick Wilson, Lucinda Garbutt-Young and Jason Scott in Canberra
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