NewsCorp Australasia executive chairman Michael Miller has warned that unchecked artificial intelligence poses a significant threat to the integrity of truth, urging the Australian government to resist efforts by major technology companies to weaken copyright laws. Miller is scheduled to deliver these remarks at the Higher Education Fest held at Macquarie University on Tuesday.
Miller emphasized that tech giants should compensate content creators for the materials used to train AI models rather than “scrape” it without permission. Drawing a parallel with mining companies that are required to pay taxes and comply with environmental regulations, he argued that Big Tech must likewise maintain a social license to operate in Australia by adhering to copyright laws and contributing positively to society.
“If an author or institution chooses to share their work, that’s their absolute right,” Miller said. “But taking it without permission, conditions, or compensation is against our laws. You must have the right to copy someone’s work – that’s why it is called copyright. The government must stay firm on this.”
Miller highlighted that Australia is well positioned to collaborate with technology companies amid rapid technological changes, but stressed that such partnerships must be rooted in a strong commitment to truth. He warned that AI, if left unregulated, is accelerating the erosion of verified facts by blending true and fabricated information and amplifying claims regardless of their accuracy.
“The work done in university halls and newsrooms has never mattered more,” Miller said. “Truth isn’t just something to defend – it’s our greatest asset for navigating what comes next. Without it, we risk a future where the pillars of society – trust, accountability, our shared understanding of the world – will be eroded.”
He called on policymakers to focus on safeguarding original content and human research in the long term to uphold the foundation of a stable democracy. Miller’s address reflects growing concerns within the media industry over AI’s impact on intellectual property rights and the potential consequences for the reliability of information in public discourse.