Assistant Technology Minister Andrew Charlton discusses Australia’s AI approach to copyright and data centre energy laws amid Donald Trump pressure
The Australian Financial Review
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Details
- Date Published
- 2 Sept 2026
- Priority Score
- 2
- Australian
- Yes
- Created
- 4 Sept 2026, 04:03 pm
Description
The Assistant Technology Minister insists Australia and the US are aligned on the broader idea of seizing the opportunities presented by the AI revolution.
Summary
This report examines Australia's attempt to reconcile its domestic AI regulatory agenda with the 'hands-off' approach of the Trump administration, emphasizing the geopolitical dimension of AI governance. Assistant Technology Minister Andrew Charlton argues that sovereign protections for copyright and energy requirements for data centres remain essential even as global pressure for deregulation increases. While the article highlights potential tensions in international AI policy alignment, it focuses more on economic and infrastructure challenges than on technical catastrophic risk mitigation. The discourse underscores the difficulty of maintaining independent safety and ethical guardrails within a globalized frontier AI landscape.
Body
WorldNorth AmericaAIPrint articleJessica GardnerUnited States correspondentUpdated Sep 2, 2026 – 2.02pm, first published at 12.12pmWashington | Andrew Charlton says measures such as protecting original work from large language models and making data centre developers supply their own energy are not at odds with Trump administration calls for a hands-off approach to regulating artificial intelligence.Speaking to The Australian Financial Review by phone on the sidelines of a G20 innovation ministers meeting in North Carolina, the assistant technology minister said both governments were aligned on the need to seize the opportunities presented by the AI revolution.Loading...SaveLog in or Subscribe to save articleShareCopy linkCopiedEmailLinkedInTwitterFacebookCopy linkCopiedShare via...Gift this articleSubscribe to gift this articleGift 5 articles to anyone you choose each month when you subscribe.Subscribe nowAlready a subscriber? LoginLicense articleRead MoreAIAndrew CharltonTrump diplomacyDonald TrumpTrump's AmericaTrump's White HouseMark ZuckerbergAnthony AlbaneseElon MuskAnthropicOpenAIFetching latest articles