# Australia's parties gamble on AI as public trust collapses

> Labor and the Coalition push AI adoption while community support falls, but workplace surveillance harms are happening now and need urgent law reform.
- Title: Australia's parties gamble on AI as public trust collapses
- Summary: Labor and the Coalition push AI adoption while community support falls, but workplace surveillance harms are happening now and need urgent law reform. Edward…
- Keywords: artificial intelligence, labor party, coalition, australian politics, workplace surveillance, worker protection, fair work act, privacy, news, politics, Australia's, parties
- Source: the Guardian — https://theguardian.com/technology/commentisfree/2026/oct/21/labor-coalition-poised-to-take-reckless-gamble-on-ai-joint-select-committee
- Published: 2026-10-20T14:00:38+00:00
- Read time: 1 min
- Topics: artificial intelligence, labor party, coalition, australian politics, workplace surveillance, worker protection, fair work act, privacy, news, politics
## Parties align on AI while public trust falls
Labor and the Coalition are moving towards rare consensus on artificial intelligence adoption. Yet Australian community trust in AI is falling even further, with only thirty percent believing benefits outweigh risks last year.
## Parliament forms joint committee on AI
An unusual joint select committee on AI signals that decisions on datacentres and AI adoption could define Australia's economy, environment and society for generations. Fresh hearings start this week.
## Business pushes innovation messaging
Some parts of the business sector urge parliament to prioritise innovation and AI adoption, often another way of saying do a better job of selling the upside of AI to the public.
## AI surveillance is happening now
Unlike hypothetical risks like AI-enabled biological weapons, workplace surveillance harms are real today. A new report, Drawing the Line, shows AI is propelling harmful tech-enabled worker surveillance across Australian workplaces.
## Workers face AI-driven monitoring
Supermarket workers meet AI-generated productivity metrics forcing harder work under threat of punishment. Remote workers face intrusive surveillance software watching screens and recording family conversations. Rideshare drivers are penalised for unrelated factors.
## Real harms demand urgent action
Workers report sexual harassment requiring constant video monitoring and warehouse workers driven to suicidal ideation by relentless machine micromanagement. Current workplace laws do not protect workers from unreasonable surveillance.
## Fair Work Act reform needed now
Edward Santow and Sarah Sacher urge government to update the Fair Work Act to require any worker monitoring be fair and reasonable. This addresses a problem within Australian government's direct control, unlike existential AI risks.

> Australian workers expect the government to act to protect them from AI harms. There is a clear reform solution at hand.
## Key takeaway

Edward Santow and Sarah Sacher warn that while Australian political parties pursue AI expansion, public trust in the technology is collapsing and urgent workplace privacy protections are needed.