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
- 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.