Australian authors, musicians and songwriters rallied at Parliament House on Wednesday, calling on the government to resist tech industry pressure to weaken copyright protections for AI training. The push comes after dozens of writers secured a $US1.5 billion settlement against AI company Anthropic for scraping their books without permission.
The demonstration, backed by industry bodies including the Australian Recording Industry Association and the Australian Publishers Association, reflected a broad coalition of creatives-a group often profiled in AI for Creatives coverage-facing the same threat. Independent senator David Pocock revealed last week that a cabinet whistleblower claimed the government was still weighing a trade-off that would grant AI firms broader content access in exchange for data centre investment.
Government under pressure over copyright carve-outs
Pocock demanded in the Senate that the government rule out any such deal. "My office was tipped off about a massively concerning secret plan being worked on by government to sell out Australian creatives' work to multinational AI companies," he said. A spokesperson for Attorney-General Michelle Rowland denied the claim, saying the government had no plans to weaken copyright protections and was committed to a framework that "protects and supports Australia's creative and media industries while unlocking AI innovation."
The government has pitched Australia as a destination for AI data centre construction, with tens of billions of dollars committed. Investment in data centre equipment soared to a record $12 million in NSW and $9.1 billion in Victoria in early 2026. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese's cabinet is split, with some ministers pushing to capitalise on the investment surge while others insist creative rights must be protected.
Writers detail the cost of AI scraping
Andy Griffiths, the current Australian Children's Laureate and a plaintiff in the US class action, said 67 of his books and their translations had been scraped. "We are aware that there are many AI representatives trying desperately to find a loophole and to pressure the government," he said. "Those data centres will be built regardless. I think they're just trying it on, and we're encouraging the government to stand firm."
Griffiths said he was open to negotiating with tech companies once they were "ready to be civilised and come to me and ask permission," but had met "a deafening silence." The $US1.5 billion settlement, he said, was a result of litigation that required creators to chase enforcement overseas-a burden few can sustain.
Author Anna Funder, who also joined the lawsuit, said she expected roughly $US3,000 for a single book title from the settlement. "Apparently, it takes six phone calls to copyright agencies and creators to negotiate a deal," she said. "It's not difficult to negotiate consent and payment; they just haven't done it."
For working writers, the dispute underscores how quickly AI training practices can undercut the copyright system that makes professional writing viable. As these technologies evolve, many are turning to resources that track the impact, including AI for Writers, to understand what's at stake.
Why this matters for writers
Writers depend on copyright to earn a living; the scraping of books, lyrics and articles without consent or payment threatens that income stream. The Australian authors' legal victory shows that collective action can force AI companies to pay, but relying on overseas lawsuits is not a scalable solution. The government's internal debate over a potential copyright carve-out, despite public denials, signals the need for ongoing vigilance. For individual writers, understanding how AI training uses their work, asserting their rights, and joining industry bodies that push for fair licensing are the most immediate steps they can take.
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