AI policy updates: Australia

Australia releases a National AI Plan signalling an existing-law approach

The National AI Plan set out the government's AI agenda and indicated that AI would be governed by strengthening existing laws rather than a standalone AI Act. The status of the 2024 mandatory-guardrails proposal must be confirmed.

Practical impact: Australian organisations should not expect a cross-economy AI Act in the near term; existing-law compliance and the voluntary standard remain the baseline.

Preceding consultation on mandatory guardrails for high-risk AI opened (government later chose not to proceed with them)

Milestone recorded for National AI Plan (Australia): Preceding consultation on mandatory guardrails for high-risk AI opened (government later chose not to proceed with them). Recorded from the official source listed; details to be expanded by a reviewer.

Australia releases a Voluntary AI Safety Standard and consults on mandatory guardrails

The Department of Industry, Science and Resources published ten voluntary guardrails and a proposals paper on mandatory guardrails for high-risk AI, with consultation to 4 October 2024.

Practical impact: Australian organisations gained a concrete voluntary baseline aligned with ISO/IEC 42001 and the NIST AI RMF.