Big tech companies are pushing for the urgent rollout of AI without safeguards to protect users

The nation’s new privacy commissioner is frustrated big tech companies are pushing for the urgent rollout of artificial intelligence without appropriate safeguards instead of protecting citizens.

Commissioner Carly Kind said she was not terrified of an AI-future, but was concerned about the speed at which the fast-evolving technology is being used, adding it would take time to understand AI’s implications and legislate against its misuse.

“I’m frustrated there’s a sense of urgency for deployment, which seems to override a cautionary approach,” said Kind, who has extensive experience in AI.

“There’s a sense that we’re not using AI right now, we’re missing out on an opportunity, which is squeezing out the time we need to think about what does it look like in a good way and how do existing laws and regulations apply.”

Kind, who started in her role earlier this year, is the first standalone privacy commissioner after the Albanian government last year wound back Abbott-era cuts to bolster the Office of the Australian Information Commission, which was initially set up with three commissioners to oversee privacy , information and freedom-of-information.

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The privacy commissioner has the power to investigate serious privacy breaches, but the threshold is so high, the office has launched only two civil penalty proceedings against organizations in the past nine years.

Reforms to the Privacy Act, which Attorney-General Mark Dreyfus will introduce to parliament in August, will expand the privacy commission’s capacity to crack down on breaches.

Under existing laws, the commissioner can launch legal proceedings only for “serious or repeated interference”, but there will be new low-tier and mid-tier civil penalty provisions, likely resulting in increased enforcement of non-serious and one-off breaches.