Doorstop - New York

Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said Australia played a central role in drafting a joint statement on artificial intelligence, which he discussed directly with Finnish President Alexander Stubb and which remains open for other countries to sign. Albanese said humans must stay in control of AI, adding that "we need to shape how it rolls out, rather than have artificial intelligence shape the way that our society functions." He also said Australia hopes for a positive meeting between President Trump and President Xi, who are meeting separately on AI.

ANTHONY ALBANESE, PRIME MINISTER: Artificial intelligence has the potential to improve lives, to strengthen our economy and productivity, and to massively advance science and medical breakthroughs. But humans need to be in control of it. If it’s going to be successful, then we need to make sure that humans are at the centre of everything that occurs. JOURNALIST: At the end of the statement, it said other countries are welcome to join and sign on. How confident are you that others will also heed the message that that joint statement had? And given that Trump and Xi are also meeting on AI, and they’ve got their own competing priorities, will that meeting have any impact in the statement or any sort of reaction to AI from now? PRIME MINISTER: We hope for a positive meeting between President Trump and President Xi. Other nations are putting forward their national interests, in the interests of Australians, in our case. Australians do want to know that artificial intelligence won’t be in control of us. We need to shape how it rolls out, rather than have artificial intelligence shape the way that our society functions. JOURNALIST: And how closely was Australia involved in drafting that? What role did yourself or other members of the government or Mission here play in getting that together? PRIME MINISTER: Well, Australia played a central role in the statement. I was in direct discussions with President Stubb, and we continue to engage with our neighbours. This has been something that is discussed between leaders, just as it’s been discussed around lounge rooms, around boardrooms, and around universities and around society. We know that artificial intelligence will have a massive impact on the way that our lives and our work is conducted, and that’s why we need to make sure that humans are at the centre of it and that they’re in control.