Music by Australian artists including Kylie Minogue, Nick Cave, G Flip and Hilltop Hoods has appeared in material used to train artificial-intelligence systems, intensifying a dispute over whether Australia should change its copyright rules. The artists were not compensated for that use, the organisation said.
The findings have sharpened criticism of technology companies lobbying for easier access to copyrighted material. ICMP managing director John Phelan said 62 countries had considered copyright changes sought by AI firms, but Australia appeared to be the only one weighing a new commercial text-and-data-mining exception or a comparable reduction in exclusive rights.
Anthropic and OpenAI executives met Australian ministers in September as confidential consultation documents outlined possible systems in which companies could train on online material after reaching a minimum number of licensing deals, or pay a central body or creator organisations that would distribute compensation. Both approaches would shift the system toward creators opting out rather than companies seeking permission first.
Anthony Albanese said in July that artists should control whether their books, music, art or news were used to train AI and should set the price for that use. The government has said it is consulting creators, media organisations and AI companies, but has not announced a final copyright model.
AI companies argue that Australia’s current framework creates legal uncertainty. Anthropic special envoy Jeffrey Bleich told a parliamentary committee that licensing every rights holder across the internet was impractical and that the company had explained how the rules affected its ability to operate in Australia. OpenAI policy chief Adam Cohen pointed to licensing agreements the company has reached with major publishers while maintaining that US fair-use law protects technological development.
Rights-holder groups say a special arrangement could become a reference point for other jurisdictions, while technology companies and business groups argue that the existing rules could deter investment. Australia’s parliamentary inquiry has recommended examining the current settings while preserving creator control and payment, and the government is expected to continue consultations before introducing any legislation.