AI Policy and Governance Newsletter — October/November 2025
A cluster of Australian polling, regulatory decisions, and competitiveness data signals growing pressure on federal agencies to move beyond light-touch AI governance.
Key points
- New polling shows 65% of Australians believe AI creates more problems than it solves, up 8 points since 2023.
- Australia fell from 15th to 23rd in the IMD World Digital Competitiveness Ranking, with AI policy rankings dropping from 8th to 34th.
- Treasury's ACL review found existing laws broadly adequate for AI harms, while eSafety registers mandatory codes for AI chatbots effective March 2026.
Summary
The Good Ancestors October/November 2025 newsletter consolidates significant recent Australian AI policy developments: new Roy Morgan polling showing declining public trust in AI, Australia's sharp fall in global digital competitiveness rankings attributed to regulatory stagnation, and Treasury's conclusion that the Australian Consumer Law is broadly adequate for AI without recommending specific AI legislation. Alongside this, the eSafety Commissioner has registered mandatory industry codes targeting AI chatbots and companion services, effective March 2026. Several notable Australian reports were also released covering regulatory frameworks, legal risks from AI capabilities, workforce impacts, and OpenAI's safety preparedness framework.
Implications for Australian agencies
- Monitor Agencies tracking the National AI Plan could note Minister Ayres' signal that it will be 'more expansive,' with release expected before end of 2025.
- Consider Agencies deploying or procuring AI services may want to consider how the Treasury ACL review's liability gap — particularly for agentic AI — affects their risk and governance settings.
- Implement Agencies operating or procuring AI chatbot or companion platforms could review eSafety's newly registered industry codes ahead of the March 2026 compliance date.
Implications are AI-generated. Starting points, not advice.
"AI Policy and Governance Newsletter — October/November 2025" Source: Good Ancestors – AI Policy & Governance Newsletter Published: (undated) URL: https://www.goodancestors.org.au/newsletter/2025-10-11 The Good Ancestors October/November 2025 newsletter consolidates significant recent Australian AI policy developments: new Roy Morgan polling showing declining public trust in AI, Australia's sharp fall in global digital competitiveness rankings attributed to regulatory stagnation, and Treasury's conclusion that the Australian Consumer Law is broadly adequate for AI without recommending specific AI legislation. Alongside this, the eSafety Commissioner has registered mandatory industry codes targeting AI chatbots and companion services, effective March 2026. Several notable Australian reports were also released covering regulatory frameworks, legal risks from AI capabilities, workforce impacts, and OpenAI's safety preparedness framework. Implications for Australian agencies: - [Monitor] Agencies tracking the National AI Plan could note Minister Ayres' signal that it will be 'more expansive,' with release expected before end of 2025. - [Consider] Agencies deploying or procuring AI services may want to consider how the Treasury ACL review's liability gap — particularly for agentic AI — affects their risk and governance settings. - [Implement] Agencies operating or procuring AI chatbot or companion platforms could review eSafety's newly registered industry codes ahead of the March 2026 compliance date. Retrieved from SIMS, 18 May 2026.