Government Plans AI Rules Because Robots Need Fairness Too

KEY POINTS

•The Royal Commission on antisemitism began its fifth round of hearings this week in Melbourne.
•The Albanese government is developing strict rules for AI use in public departments to ensure fairness and transparency.
•Pauline Hanson denies supporting the White Australia policy and blames media for taking her comments out of context.

In Melbourne this week, the Royal Commission on antisemitism starts its fifth block of hearings, no doubt keeping things as breezy as a tax audit. Meanwhile, the Albanese government is wrestling with the boogeyman of AI decision-making, crafting national plans to make sure algorithms don’t play favorites or get too nosy, balancing fairness, accuracy, and transparency. Pauline Hanson, recently caught in a media frenzy over comments about the White Australia policy, insists she was misquoted, because of course, subtle nuance is why national news outlets grabbed snappy soundbites. Labor and Liberals are already teeing off on the controversy like it’s an all-you-can-politics buffet. Oh, and datacenters are booming — because nothing says progress like AI and a new server graveyard.