{"slug":"australia","name":"Australia","short_name":"Australia","iso_code":"AU","jurisdiction_type":"country","region":"Oceania","subregion":null,"overview":"Australia has no AI-specific statute. After the 2023 \"Safe and responsible AI in Australia\" consultation and the January 2024 interim response, the government published a Voluntary AI Safety Standard and a proposals paper for mandatory guardrails in high-risk settings in September 2024. In December 2025 the government released a National AI Plan indicating it would rely on strengthening existing laws rather than a standalone AI Act. Federal agencies are bound by the Digital Transformation Agency's policy for responsible use of AI in government. Binding obligations for business come from the Privacy Act 1988 (including 2024 amendments on automated decisions), consumer law, anti-discrimination law and sector regulation.\n","regulatory_status_summary":"No binding cross-sector AI law; mandatory guardrails were consulted on in 2024 but the December 2025 National AI Plan signalled an existing-law approach. Voluntary AI Safety Standard available. Government agencies follow a binding whole-of-government AI policy. A reviewer must confirm the current status of the mandatory-guardrails proposal.\n","binding_vs_guidance":"Binding: Privacy Act 1988 and Privacy and Other Legislation Amendment Act 2024 (automated decision transparency provisions with delayed commencement), Australian Consumer Law, anti-discrimination Acts, sector rules (APRA, ASIC, TGA); the DTA AI policy for federal agencies. Guidance / voluntary: Voluntary AI Safety Standard, AI Ethics Principles, OAIC guidance on AI and privacy.\n","current_priorities":"National AI Plan delivery, AI Safety Institute establishment, reform of the Privacy Act, guidance from the OAIC and eSafety Commissioner, and government AI assurance.\n","regulators":[{"name":"Department of Industry, Science and Resources","url":"https://www.industry.gov.au/","role":"AI policy lead, Voluntary AI Safety Standard"},{"name":"Digital Transformation Agency","url":"https://www.digital.gov.au/","role":"Government AI policy and assurance"},{"name":"Office of the Australian Information Commissioner","url":"https://www.oaic.gov.au/","role":"Privacy Act and AI privacy guidance"}],"official_sources":[{"title":"Voluntary AI Safety Standard","publisher":"Department of Industry, Science and Resources","url":"https://www.industry.gov.au/publications/voluntary-ai-safety-standard","document_date":"2024-09-05","document_type":"guidance","tier":1},{"title":"Safe and responsible AI in Australia — proposals paper for introducing mandatory guardrails for AI in high-risk settings","publisher":"Department of Industry, Science and Resources","url":"https://consult.industry.gov.au/ai-mandatory-guardrails","document_date":"2024-09-05","document_type":"consultation","tier":1},{"title":"Policy for the responsible use of AI in government","publisher":"Digital Transformation Agency","url":"https://www.digital.gov.au/policy/ai/policy","document_date":"2024-09-01","document_type":"guidance","tier":1}],"related_jurisdictions":["singapore","uk","eu"],"url":"https://aipolicytracker.org/jurisdictions/australia","source":{"official_source_url":"https://www.industry.gov.au/publications/voluntary-ai-safety-standard","source_title":"Voluntary AI Safety Standard","source_publisher":"Australian Government, Department of Industry, Science and Resources","source_document_date":"2024-09-05","source_reference":null,"source_tier":1,"last_checked_at":"2026-09-26","last_verified_at":"2026-09-26","review_status":"verified","confidence_level":"medium","content_version":1,"change_summary":"Initial structured record; status of mandatory guardrails after the National AI Plan to be confirmed.","reviewed_by":"Bhaskar Bhatt"},"policies":[{"slug":"australia-mandatory-guardrails-proposal","id":"AIPT-POL-0019","permanent_url":"https://aipolicytracker.org/id/AIPT-POL-0019","title":"Proposals paper: introducing mandatory guardrails for AI in high-risk settings (Australia)","short_title":"Australian mandatory guardrails proposal","jurisdiction":"australia","instrument_type":"consultation","status":"under_consultation","is_binding":false,"ai_specific":true,"issuing_body":"Department of Industry, Science and Resources","summary_plain":"The proposals paper sought views on ten mandatory guardrails for developers and deployers of AI in high-risk settings, a principles-based definition of high-risk AI (with general-purpose AI treated as high-risk), and three regulatory options: adapting existing laws, framework legislation, or a new cross-economy AI Act. The guardrails mirror the Voluntary AI Safety Standard, covering accountability, risk management, data governance, testing, human control, transparency, contestability, supply-chain transparency, records, and conformity assessment.\n","adopted_on":null,"in_force_on":null,"applies_from":null,"official_source_url":"https://consult.industry.gov.au/ai-mandatory-guardrails","last_verified_at":"2026-09-26","reviewed_by":"Bhaskar Bhatt","content_version":1,"review_status":"verified","confidence_level":"medium","updated_at":"2026-10-15T06:46:23+00:00","url":"https://aipolicytracker.org/policies/australia-mandatory-guardrails-proposal"},{"slug":"australia-national-ai-plan","id":"AIPT-POL-0020","permanent_url":"https://aipolicytracker.org/id/AIPT-POL-0020","title":"National AI Plan","short_title":"National AI Plan","jurisdiction":"australia","instrument_type":"strategy","status":"adopted","is_binding":false,"ai_specific":true,"issuing_body":"Department of Industry, Science and Resources","summary_plain":"The National AI Plan is the Australian Government's whole-of-government AI strategy with three goals: capture the opportunity through infrastructure, domestic capability and investment; spread the benefits through adoption, skills and better public services; and keep Australians safe through legal and regulatory frameworks and responsible-practice guidance. It consolidates existing AI funding commitments and signals a sector-by-sector regulatory approach supported by an AI Safety Institute, rather than a standalone AI act.","adopted_on":"2025-12-02","in_force_on":null,"applies_from":null,"official_source_url":"https://www.industry.gov.au/publications/national-ai-plan","last_verified_at":"2026-09-26","reviewed_by":"Bhaskar Bhatt","content_version":1,"review_status":"verified","confidence_level":"high","updated_at":"2026-10-15T06:46:23+00:00","url":"https://aipolicytracker.org/policies/australia-national-ai-plan"},{"slug":"australia-voluntary-ai-safety-standard","id":"AIPT-POL-0021","permanent_url":"https://aipolicytracker.org/id/AIPT-POL-0021","title":"Voluntary AI Safety Standard (Australia)","short_title":"Australian Voluntary AI Safety Standard","jurisdiction":"australia","instrument_type":"standard","status":"voluntary_standard","is_binding":false,"ai_specific":true,"issuing_body":"Department of Industry, Science and Resources","summary_plain":"The Voluntary AI Safety Standard gives Australian organisations ten guardrails for developing and deploying AI safely and responsibly: accountability and governance, risk management, data governance and protection, testing and monitoring, human control and intervention, user transparency, contestability, supply-chain transparency, record keeping, and stakeholder engagement. The guardrails were designed to align with the mandatory guardrails proposed for high-risk settings so that early adopters would be prepared if those became law.\n","adopted_on":"2024-09-05","in_force_on":null,"applies_from":null,"official_source_url":"https://www.industry.gov.au/publications/voluntary-ai-safety-standard","last_verified_at":"2026-09-26","reviewed_by":"Bhaskar Bhatt","content_version":1,"review_status":"verified","confidence_level":"high","updated_at":"2026-10-15T06:46:23+00:00","url":"https://aipolicytracker.org/policies/australia-voluntary-ai-safety-standard"}]}