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AI, Free Trade on Agenda for New EU Ambassador

ABC News

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Details

Date Published
4 Oct 2026
Priority Score
3
Australian
Yes
Created
5 Oct 2026, 12:00 am

Description

EU Ambassador to Australia Lawrence Meredith took up his role last month.

Summary

This interview highlights the diplomatic efforts to align AI regulatory frameworks between the European Union and Australia, focusing on the shared pursuit of global rules and 'guardrails.' The discussion emphasizes the urgency of international cooperation to address the challenges posed by frontier AI systems and social media algorithms. By positioning AI safety as a core pillar of the EU-Australia bilateral relationship, the content underscores the shift toward multilateral governance as a mechanism for reducing potential societal and technical risks.

Body

From the rise of artificial intelligence, to social media algorithms - governments around the world have been trying to work out how to best regulate the tech sector.AI was one of the pressing issues discussed at the United Nations General Assembly last month, with the European Union calling for AI global rules.Australia was also among 22 nations urgently calling for global guardrails at the general assembly.So how might Australia and the EU work together on this new challenge? GUEST: Lawrence Meredith, EU Ambassador to AustraliaPRODUCER: Katie McAllister & Grace StrangerCreditsSally Sara, PresenterImage DetailsLawrence Meredith previously served as the EU Ambassador to New Zealand.(Flickr)Program:More from Radio National Breakfast Appears In Breakfast Wrap: Opposition labels Pacific event 'net zero talk fest' Duration: 24 minutes 5 seconds24m 10itemsIn this episode1 of 10Polls close in high-stakes Brazil electionDuration: 7 minutes 57 seconds7m 2 of 10Thousands arrested as France school protests escalateDuration: 7 minutes 18 seconds7m 3 of 10Government targets lawyers, agents in migration crackdownDuration: 5 minutes 7 seconds5m 4 of 10Queensland saw legal cigarette sales increase after crackdown on illicit marketDuration: 8 minutes 54 seconds8m 5 of 10Shadow Energy Minister labels pre-COP climate summit a 'farce'Duration: 6 minutes 48 seconds6m 6 of 10Chris Bowen defends pre-COP Fiji summit, despite cost argumentDuration: 8 minutes 37 seconds8m 7 of 10PlayingAI, free trade on agenda for new EU Ambassador Duration: 7 minutes 6 seconds7m 8 of 10Changing Australia: Trudy Lin and the rare art of special dentistryDuration: 9 minutes 56 seconds9m 9 of 10Thousands gather for Koori Knockout in Hunter regionDuration: 6 minutes 5 seconds6m 10 of 10Radio National Breakfast full program - 05 October 2026Duration: 2 hours 55 minutes 2h 55m