Australia AI inquiry hears ABC newsreader protections and sovereignty concerns

During a Joint Select Committee inquiry in Sydney, representatives from the ABC stated the broadcaster has no plans to replace newsreaders or journalists with artificial intelligence. Senior executive David Sutton noted that editorial guidance prohibits creating replicas of people or their voices without careful consideration. The broadcaster expressed concerns regarding the integrity and impartiality of content when AI uses ABC material without control.

In related testimony, AI infrastructure and data centre companies warned that Australia must develop its own domestic AI capacity to maintain sovereign control. ResetData argued that failing to build local infrastructure and skills risks losing strategic technological capability to other nations. Macquarie Technology added that true sovereignty depends on who owns and controls the models, rather than just physical location, emphasizing the need for assured access during crises.