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Digital regulators stress ongoing role in relation to AI
The heads of ACCC and ACMA, as well as the eSafety Commissioner and the Information Commissioner, have made a joint submission about the challenges and opportunities of AI and how it relates to their regulatory roles.
In their submission to a government discussion paper on safe and responsible AI, the four agencies, who comprise the Digital Platform Regulators Forum (DP-REG), stress they will remain crucial to the national response to AI.
The submission says says AI presents new opportunities but also new challenges.
“The increasing adoption of AI – in particular, generative AI – could have broad-ranging benefits and risks for Australia’s economy and society,” they state.
“Immediate impacts of this technology include risks to consumer protection, competition, media and the information environment, privacy and online safety.”
Strengthening regulation
The group says there’s a need to consider whether there’s a need to strengthen their regulatory roles.
“Where gaps are identified, the government should consider how existing frameworks may be strengthened and enhanced before consideration is given to creating a separate regime specific to this technology,” the group says.
The submission also notes that AI technology could affect the ability of Australian regulators to do their jobs, including the ability to use their investigative powers to access algorithms and technical material stored in other jurisdictions.
It also warns that generative AI can be used to create texts that might “be misused to frustrate public submission processes” straining staff and resources, and “making it difficult to accept and consider public submissions made in good faith”.
The submission also considers the impact of AI protecing consumers against scams; product safety; anti-competition algorithmic collusion; media misinformation; privacy and online safety including the creation of deepfakes and synthetic images.
Read the full submission here.
It follows the release of DP-REG’s Strategic Priorities in July, which include assessing the impact of algorithms, improving transparency and increased collaboration between the four members with a focus on understanding the benefits, risks and harms of generative AI.
DP-REG is lead by ACCC Chair Gina Cass-Gottlieb, ACMA Chair Nerida O’Loughlin, eSafety Commissioner Julie Inman Grant and Australian Information Commissioner and Privacy Commissioner Angelene Falk.
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