David Littleproud's interview on Weekend Today
LIZZIE PEARL
David, I'll start with you. How worried are you about AI generated imagery in politics?
DAVID LITTLEPROUD
Oh, not as much as David Pocock. I think he's right to raise awareness. But just understand, in our great country, we actually have to authorise all the advertisements that a political party put out, so there are safeguards and if they're breached, then there's significant penalties to the political party or the individual that does that. I think it is highlighting the need for us to reach in and to make sure we put the regulatory boundaries around AI.
There's huge potential. A government report recently said, if we get AI right, you could be looking somewhere between $45 and $115 billion a year extra to the Australian economy. But we need to make sure that we do that in a sensible way. And I think we need to work internationally to make sure we get those parameters set properly, so there's huge opportunities, there's some significant risks. I don't think we should put our head in the sand on it. I think the government, while we've offered bipartisan support, needs to take that hand, move a little bit quicker in making sure those boundaries are set and making sure there's serious penalties for anyone that breaches it.
LIZZIE PEARL
Pros and cons, Heidi, we've seen this in the US election already, but if it's so easy to create and distribute, is this a serious concern in the lead up to an election here in Australia?
HEIDI MURPHY
I think it is a serious concern. I think we're going to see plenty more of it. I mean, if you watch closely, sure, the lips don't have meet up with the words that were being said then. So you go, oh, that's a fake, but only if you're looking really closely, only if you're paying absolute attention to the political debate.
And it wouldn't necessarily be parties putting out fake material, it could just be individuals that will flood the internet with fake videos like this, fake policy announcements, fake attacks. I'm quite sure we'll see more and more of it. We've seen it in the states, we see it in other election campaigns.
It will be coming here. The question is what we do about it. And whether David Pocock's ideas would stop anything, fix anything, I'm not entirely convinced.
LIZZIE PEARL
And the deepfakes do seem to be getting better and better every week. Now, moving along.
Under new proposed laws, social media companies could face fines and legal action as the South Australian government cracks down on kids being exposed to apps, aiming to ban children under 14 from signing up.
David, first to you, this is going to be tough to enforce, but do you expect other states to now follow South Australia's lead?
DAVID LITTLEPROUD
Yeah, we actually tried in a federal parliament to have a national law to make sure there was national consistency rather than South Australia, having to go alone. But what we did is we said there should be age verification to 16, not 14. We wanted to lift that bar. Unfortunately, Anthony Albanese voted against it.
He's going to bring in some sort of trial. But I think this is the right thing to do. I think that we need to protect our children. I think it's up to parents to determine when they're ready for their children to be able to have access to social media and to the internet and certain sites. But I think as governments, I think we can set that bar at 16.
So we're waiting on the government, where they want to go with this. But it would be easier and far more practical to actually regulate this at a national level rather than states running off on their own tangents. And I think this is where national leadership is important. And the Prime Minister should lean into this because there are children being impacted by this, just even in bullying, before you get to more egregious and serious crimes that are happening to them and being groomed online that we've seen even in my own community, where we lost the life of a young girl who took her own life because of the bullying she had on social media are calling for this. Everyone wants it. I think we just need some national leadership.
LIZZIE PEARL
David Littleproud, you do make a lot of sense. Heidi, what do you think? Is it too little, too late?
HEIDI MURPHY
Many kids are already addicted to social media.
They're absolutely already on it. And in my experience, they'll always find a way around whatever the rules and regulations, the ones the adults are putting in place around social media. I think I admire what the South Australian premier is trying to do. I understand the passion for it.
I don't see it as being remotely enforceable. When have these multinational companies ever abided by the fines that come their way? The pushback from an Australian government and a state going alone will be even more toothless than a national government trying to do it. I think they have the power. These giant companies have the power and aren't accountable to a little place like South Australia or Australia even more broadly.
LIZZIE PEARL
Yeah, exactly. It does need to be a global movement, doesn't it? Thank you to both of you, David Littleproud and Heidi Murphy.
