2026-07-24
How many more communities have to be railroaded by AI tech bros before we act?
By Senator Sarah Hanson-Young
Big AI and their data centre landlords are railroading communities. They are pushing governments to get out of the way before there's any rules or regulations firmly in place.
But what’s actually in it for Australians?
Big AI is trying to rush to get these developments done before there are proper guardrails in place and proper laws that can be enforced.
These very companies have lost their social license in the United States, and are now imposing themselves on communities in Australia because, partly because our regulations are lagging behind.
While the Albanese Government talks about “national standards”, they are green lighting extractive data factories being built and approved right now.
I’ll be very clear: there is no point in having national standards if these big AI companies have already rolled out these hyperscale centres, polluted our atmosphere, taken our energy and water, and imposed themselves on communities who simply don’t want them.
The Greens are backing clear calls across the community for a moratorium.
Every single local resident that fronted these two days of inquiry called for a pause on development and a moratorium. For some, they know it’s too late: AI has already steamrolled their community and they now live in the shadows and the 24/7 jet-like buzz of these data factories, but they know the fight against big AI is only starting.
Australia needs strong laws that regulate the AI data centres being built now, not in years to come.
As a country, we have spent decades learning what happens when governments allow wealthy, extractive industries to establish themselves first – and try to regulate them later.
The Albanese Government can choose here to stand with communities for common sense, for a say in what's going on, and for a dividend on what these big AI data centres will offer Australia. Or it can choose to roll over to big AI and the tech trillionaires.
We know we cannot afford to make the same mistakes twice.
P.S. If you want to find out more and be part of the conversations everyone’s having about the AI boom right now, check out this episode of The Sarah Hanson-Young Podcast with AI expert Ed Santow on Spotify and Apple Podcasts.