Datacentre giant accused of using AI while lobbying for Victorian minister’s support for hyperscale factory

Victorian jobs minister Melissa Horne accused NextDC, one of Australia's largest datacentre companies, of using artificial intelligence in correspondence that asked her to lobby a colleague to approve a "hyperscale AI factory" expansion, according to The Guardian. The correspondence between Horne and NextDC chief executive Craig Scroggie allegedly contains AI-created errors and reveals increasing sensitivity to community concerns about datacentres ahead of the state election.

Datacentre giant accused of using AI while lobbying for Victorian minister’s support for hyperscale factory By Henry BelotSource: The Guardian Technology https://www.theguardian.com/us/technology Exclusive: Correspondence requests state MP Melissa Horne to lobby on NextDC’s behalf – but contains alleged AI-created errors - Get our breaking news email https://www.theguardian.com/email-newsletters?CMP=cvau sfl , free app https://app.adjust.com/w4u7jx3 or daily news podcast https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/series/full-story?CMP=cvau sfl The Victorian jobs minister has accused one of Australia’s largest datacentre companies of using artificial intelligence https://www.machinebrief.com/glossary/artificial-intelligence while requesting she lobby her colleague to approve a massive expansion of its “hyperscale AI factory”. Correspondence between Victorian cabinet minister Melissa Horne and the chief executive of ASX-listed company NextDC, Craig Scroggie, reveals increasing sensitivity to community concerns about datacentres before the state election. Continue reading... https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2026/sep/16/datacentre-giant-accused-of-using-ai-while-lobbying-for-victorian-ministers-support-for-hyperscale-factory Get AI news in your inbox Daily digest of what matters in AI.