Labor and the Coalition are poised to take a reckless gamble on AI. Haven’t they realised community support has collapsed? | Edward Santow and Sarah Sacher

PUBLISHER ARTICLE PREVIEW

From the original article

Australian workers expect the government to act to protect them from AI harms.

Australia’s major political parties are edging towards rare consensus. Labor and the Coalition increasingly want to take a major bet on artificial intelligence. Yet, just as the parties are coming together, the Australian community is running the other way.

Last year, only 30% of Australians believed the benefits of AI outweighed the risks. In 2026, community trust in AI appears to be falling even further.

It was an unusual step for our parliament to form a joint select committee on AI. It signalled that the decisions being made now on datacentres and how we adopt AI could define our economy, environment and society for generations.

As a fresh round of hearings starts this week, the committee members must confront the gulf between the politics of AI and the stark reality on the ground. Some parts of the business sector are urging us to prioritise innovation and AI adoption, which is often another way of saying: “Do a better job of selling the upside of AI.”

Whether you’re an AI optimist or a sceptic, this is a terrible idea.