Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has warned that humans must remain in control of artificial intelligence as Australia pushes for greater international safeguards around the rapidly developing technology.
Speaking to reporters in New York on Tuesday, Albanese said AI had the potential to improve lives, strengthen economic productivity and accelerate scientific and medical breakthroughs, but stressed that its development needed to remain centred on people.
“Humans need to be in control of it,” Albanese said.
“If it’s going to be successful, then we need to make sure that humans are at the centre of everything that occurs.”
The comments came after Australia joined an international effort calling for a human-centred approach to artificial intelligence, with Albanese saying Australia had played a central role in developing the joint statement.
The Prime Minister said he had been in direct discussions with Finnish President Alexander Stubb and that Australia would continue working with regional partners on the issue.
Australians, Albanese said, wanted confidence that AI would not ultimately control how society functions.
“We need to shape how it rolls out, rather than have artificial intelligence shape the way that our society functions.”
Asked about the planned meeting between US President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping and whether their competing priorities could influence the global AI debate, Albanese said Australia hoped for a positive meeting.
He said countries would continue to pursue their national interests, while Australia would advocate for safeguards that reflected its own national interests.
Albanese has made AI governance a key issue during his visit to the United States and the United Nations General Assembly. Earlier this week, he said major technology companies had themselves acknowledged significant risks associated with AI and argued that companies, governments and international agreements all had a role to play.
The Australian Government has also said it wants to work with international partners to build a “safe digital future”, with AI identified as one of the major global challenges likely to affect Australians.
Albanese is in New York for the United Nations General Assembly High-Level Week, where he is also leading Australia’s campaign for a non-permanent seat on the UN Security Council for 2029–30.
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