# Australia’s Albanese Vows to Protect Creatives from AI Copyright Theft, Sets Datacentre Rules > Source: > Published: 2026-07-15 07:10:59+00:00 **July 15, 2026**, (Inside AI) — Australia will establish a dedicated Office of AI and introduce binding rules for datacentres, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese announced Wednesday in a major policy speech. The move aims to protect Australian creatives from what he labeled “theft” of their work by AI companies, while setting national standards for energy-intensive computing facilities. Albanese rejected the idea that tech giants like OpenAI and Anthropic could freely use Australian data for training models. “Let me make this crystal clear: not everything produced in Australia is up for grabs,” he said. “Australian writers, musicians, artists and journalists must retain ownership and control of their work. Our laws will spell that out, plain as day.” The speech marks the government’s strongest stance yet on AI and copyright, amid cabinet debates over law modernization. Albanese warned that using creative work without consent or payment “is theft,” signaling that Labor will not grant a text and data mining exemption sought by some industry players. Annabel Herd, CEO of the Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA), welcomed the guarantee. “We don’t know exactly what most of these AI companies want, they haven’t made a public case about what the problem is, but there isn’t one,” she told Guardian Australia. “This should be a very strong message to the AI companies, they should pick up the phone and start licensing.” Anthropic’s general counsel, Jeff Bleich, said the company respects the process and takes its responsibilities seriously. Microsoft Australia president Jane Livesey stressed that trust in safe, well-governed AI is essential for adoption. ## Datacentre Rules Target Energy and Land Use The new framework will set mandatory, nationally consistent rules for datacentre location, power, and water use. Albanese declared: “We have more than enough room for new datacentres, without them competing with new housing.” Large facilities must underwrite new power supply, pay full grid connection costs, and put at least as much energy into the grid as they consume. Datacentres will also be required to generate renewable energy, minimize water use, and maximize efficiency. Belinda Dennett, CEO of Data Centres Australia, said the industry is already pursuing sustainability and was unfazed by the standards. The Business Council of Australia’s CEO, Bran Black, cautioned against regulation going “too far” or being “too prescriptive,” warning it could stifle investment and put Australia out of step with global counterparts. Legislation is not expected until early next year. Former industry minister Ed Husic criticized the pace, noting on ABC Radio that the government delivered “a faster response to dangerous strawberries as opposed to the dangers of high risk AI.” He added: “We can’t have two terms of parliament pass without having some concrete mandated guardrails.” The policy balances economic benefits with rising voter concerns. Labor MPs have flagged local worries about datacentre development, and Albanese acknowledged the need to maintain community trust. The Office of AI will coordinate these efforts, though details remain sparse. While creatives celebrate, the tech sector awaits clarity on licensing. Herd urged AI firms to start negotiations: “We are very good and efficient at licensing at scale. We’d like get on with it, not be stuck in this ongoing no man’s land.”