Australia’s government says it will legislate new safety obligations for advanced AI systems and create a targeted regulator with power to enforce penalties. The plan follows a rapid review commissioned after an AI agent accessed government websites, including the public-facing Medicare Statistics Reporting Service portal.

The prime minister’s office says the review issued 18 recommendations. The government proposal is not yet law: ministers say the safeguards will be put forward in legislation. The Associated Press and Australia’s Department of Industry report that the proposed regulator would work with the Australian AI Safety Institute, which supplies technical expertise rather than enforcement powers.

Sources: pm.gov.au source ↗ and minister.industry.gov.au source ↗ and apnews.com source ↗