OpenAI and Anthropic have called on the Australian government to relax regulations that limit the use of copyrighted local content for training AI models. According to a report by Reuters, this request was made in submissions to a parliamentary committee.
Previously, Australia declined to establish an exception that would allow developers to use such materials for model training without separate licensing. Representatives from Anthropic proposed a solution in the form of a "narrow conditional approval". They believe this approach could involve commitments to invest in local authors and cultural initiatives.
OpenAI advocated for a "balanced copyright regime" that would enable models to learn from publicly available information while still maintaining collaboration opportunities with copyright holders.
Companies Link Regulations to Investments
Both developers connected the copyright issue to investments in Australian AI infrastructure.
OpenAI is partnering with local operator NEXTDC on the S7 hyperscale data center project in Sydney, having signed a memorandum for joint development of computational infrastructure.
Meanwhile, Anthropic has signed its first data center lease agreement in Australia, located in Queensland. The Zerra DC campus, with a capacity of up to 2.16 GW, is expected to be operational by 2027, approximately 250 km from Brisbane.
In its submission to the parliamentary committee, OpenAI indicated that Australia could play a significant role in the global expansion of AI infrastructure, provided there are suitable conditions, including copyright policies. However, representatives from the creative industries oppose such exceptions.
Parliament to Review Regulations by End of November
The Australian Parliament's Joint Committee on Artificial Intelligence is examining the impact of AI on national productivity and competitiveness, as well as its interaction with intellectual property legislation.
A specific aspect of the inquiry concerns the use of Australian creative, cultural, and media content for training models. The committee was established on August 20 and is expected to deliver its final report by November 30.
This discussion occurs amid ongoing debates about the economic returns from artificial intelligence. On September 22, Reserve Bank of Australia Governor Michele Bullock stated that she does not yet see compelling evidence of productivity growth attributed to the technology.
She also suggested that the current investment boom surrounding AI could potentially be a bubble. Bullock noted that the construction of data centers is currently driving demand and may exert inflationary pressure before any potential productivity gains become evident.
It is worth mentioning that in July, a U.S. court approved a $1.5 billion payout to Anthropic over a class-action lawsuit by authors regarding the use of pirated book copies. Previously, in the same case, the court had determined that training models on legally obtained works constituted fair use, separating this issue from the illegal acquisition of copies.
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