Regulation was once a dirty word in tech companies around the world. They argued that if people wanted better smartphones and flying cars, we had to look past dusty old laws dreamed up in the pre-internet era.
But something profound is afoot. First a whisper, and now a roar: the law is back.
Ed Husic, Australia’s federal Minister responsible for tech policy, is leading a once-in-a-generation review of Australian law, asking Australians how our law should change for the AI era. Just last week, he told the ABC,
I think the era of self-regulation is over.
Sure, there were caveats. Husic made clear that regulation for AI should focus on “high-risk elements” and “getting the balance right”. But the rhetorical shift was unmistakable: if we’d allowed the creation of some kind of digital wild west, this must end.