Does Penny Wong support AI safety policies?

Position unclear. While Penny Wong hasn't stated their position, Labor has an unclear stance on AI safety policies.

Senator Penny Wong (Labor) represents SA in the Senate.

In public statements she has primarily addressed AI in the context of AUKUS advanced military technologies and broader concerns about technology governance, but has not made detailed policy statements specifically on AI safety frameworks or regulation.

Current Positions

Minister for Foreign Affairs

Since 2025

International AI governance, global cooperation on AI safety standards, and diplomatic AI policy coordination

Key Statements on AI Safety

“The benefits of modernisation are accompanied by threats to our democracy, through disinformation, interference, cyberattacks and the unregulated use of AI. Regulation, rules and norms are not keeping pace with technological advances.”

Australian Minister for Foreign Affairs · View source →

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Their score on expert-recommended AI safety policies

Over 357 experts, public figures, and concerned citizens endorsed these policies in their open letter before the 2025 election.

AI Safety Institute

A well-resourced, independent technical body to assess AI risks and advise on safety standards.

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Penny Wong unclear position (from party policy)

Party Notes: Labor claims that the Department of Industry, working with the National AI Centre (NAIC), is Australia's AI Safety Institute. This contrasts with international AISIs, which are typically new, independent, technically-focused bodies. The NAIC’s mandate is AI adoption, not frontier safety. Key indicators of a functional AISI such as dedicated technical staff, specific funding, evaluation capabilities (e.g., model testing, compute resources) appear absent and unplanned. This makes Labor's position ambiguous regarding genuine support for a well-resourced safety institute.

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Mandatory Guardrails

A dedicated AI Act with mandatory guardrails for high-risk AI systems will both protect Australians and create the certainty businesses need to innovate.

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Penny Wong partially supports (from party policy)

Party Notes: Labor says it's focused on legislative options around mandatory guardrails for high-risk AI, harmonised with international best practices. Labor said on 15 April, “We will have more to say about next steps soon.” While this suggests an Australian AI Act is a possibility, it leaves the door open to letting existing regulators handle AI on a piecemeal basis.

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How do the politicians score on AI safety?

Search to see where parties and candidates stand on key AI policy issues

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