Australia’s top media executives have issued a forceful call for AI companies to start paying for the vast amount of Australian news, journalism and cultural content being used without permission to train their technologies. They argue that the public good created by Australian media should not be exploited for free by global tech giants.
Speaking at the annual Andrew Olle lecture on Tuesday night, the heads of the ABC, SBS, Nine and News Corp Australasia warned that AI developers are already mining Australian content at scale. ABC managing director David Anderson revealed that AI firm Anthropic had approached the broadcaster seeking access to audio and video archives to better understand “how Australians speak.”
The panel explored the growing influence of AI in journalism, touching on everything from newsroom ethics to behind‑the‑scenes details about former Today host Karl Stefanovic’s departure. But the strongest message came from ABC chair Kim Williams and Nine CEO Mike Sneesby, who argued that AI companies must strike licensing deals with Australian media just as they do with publishers in other countries.
Nine’s Peter Marks acknowledged a “delicate balance” between ensuring Australians receive high‑quality information through AI tools and protecting the value of journalism. But SBS managing director Jane Palfreyman was unequivocal: “Our collective view on that would be no,” she said, rejecting the idea that news organisations should allow AI companies to train on their content for free.
The executives stressed that journalism is expensive, essential and already under pressure and that AI firms profiting from Australian reporting without compensation threatens the sustainability of the entire media ecosystem.
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