{"slug":"australia-mandatory-guardrails-proposal","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,"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":null,"review_status":"pending_review","confidence_level":"medium","updated_at":"2026-09-11T14:52:57+00:00","url":"https://aipolicytracker.org/policies/australia-mandatory-guardrails-proposal","status_note":"Consultation ran September to October 2024. The December 2025 National AI Plan reportedly signalled that the government would strengthen existing laws rather than introduce a standalone AI Act; a reviewer must confirm whether the mandatory-guardrails proposal has been formally dropped, adapted or superseded and update the status.\n","scope_summary":"A consultation document, not law. If adopted, the guardrails would apply to organisations developing or deploying AI in high-risk settings in Australia.\n","who_it_applies_to":"Prospectively, developers and deployers of high-risk AI in Australia; currently no one.","key_dates_summary":"Published 5 September 2024; submissions closed 4 October 2024; government response pending at last check.","penalties_summary":"None; consultation.","what_organizations_must_do":"Nothing yet. Organisations can prepare by adopting the Voluntary AI Safety Standard, whose guardrails match the proposed mandatory ones.\n","published_on":"2024-09-05","date_notes":null,"taxonomy":{"actor":["provider","deployer","gpai_provider"],"ai_system_type":["general_purpose_ai_model","automated_decision_system"],"sector":["cross_sector"],"risk_category":["high_risk"],"use_case":["hiring_and_hr","finance_and_credit","generative_ai"]},"sections":[],"obligations":[],"applicability_rules":[],"deadlines":[{"title":"Consultation closed","due_on":"2024-10-04","date_precision":"exact","date_label":null,"display_date":"4 October 2024","description":"Submissions deadline.","source_reference":null,"official_source_url":null,"status":"passed","confidence_level":"high"},{"title":"Government decision on regulatory option","due_on":null,"date_precision":"tbd","date_label":"Pending; see National AI Plan (December 2025)","display_date":"Pending; see National AI Plan (December 2025)","description":"Reviewer to confirm the outcome.","source_reference":null,"official_source_url":null,"status":"tbd","confidence_level":"low"}],"versions":[],"enforcement_events":[],"procurement_rules":[],"sources":[{"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,"tier_label":"Official primary source (government, legislature, regulator, court, standards body, intergovernmental)"}],"related_policies":["australia-voluntary-ai-safety-standard","eu-ai-act"],"related_frameworks":[],"faq":[],"source":{"official_source_url":"https://consult.industry.gov.au/ai-mandatory-guardrails","source_title":"Proposals paper for introducing mandatory guardrails for AI in high-risk settings","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":null,"last_verified_at":null,"review_status":"pending_review","confidence_level":"medium","content_version":1,"change_summary":"Initial structured record; outcome after the National AI Plan unverified.","reviewed_by":null}}