🔴Illinois HB 3773IN EFFECT$10M fine|🔴Texas TRAIGAIN EFFECTActive enforcement|⚠️Colorado SB 205Jun 30, 2026Per-violation fines|⚠️California SB 942Aug 2, 2026$5K/day|⚠️EU AI Act Art. 50Aug 2, 2026€35M or 7% revenue|⚠️Virginia HB 2154Jul 1, 2026$10K/violation|⚠️Connecticut SB 2Oct 1, 2026$25K/violation|🔴Illinois HB 3773IN EFFECT$10M fine|🔴Texas TRAIGAIN EFFECTActive enforcement|⚠️Colorado SB 205Jun 30, 2026Per-violation fines|⚠️California SB 942Aug 2, 2026$5K/day|⚠️EU AI Act Art. 50Aug 2, 2026€35M or 7% revenue|⚠️Virginia HB 2154Jul 1, 2026$10K/violation|⚠️Connecticut SB 2Oct 1, 2026$25K/violation|
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AI Laws in Australia

Australia has chosen not to enact a standalone AI Act. As of 2026, AI-specific obligations are voluntary — businesses are encouraged to follow the Voluntary AI Safety Standard's ten guardrails (governance, transparency, human oversight, testing, record-keeping). A 2024 proposal for mandatory guardrails on high-risk AI remains unlegislated; the December 2025 National AI Plan reaffirmed reliance on existing laws and sector regulators. The main statutory exposure for AI is the Privacy Act 1988, where serious breaches now risk penalties up to A$50 million.

By · Legal research team
Published Reviewed
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Applicable laws

📜 Australia's AI Ethics Principles (2019, voluntary)
📜 Voluntary AI Safety Standard (Sept 2024)
📜 Proposed mandatory guardrails for high-risk AI (consultation)
📜 Privacy Act 1988 (as amended 2024)

Penalty: No AI-specific penalty; Privacy Act 1988 up to A$50M, 3× benefit, or 30% of adjusted turnover for serious breaches

● Live

Recent AI law developments in Australia

Updated June 17, 2026

Recent news coverage of AI regulation and policy in Australia. Headlines are aggregated automatically; follow each link for the full story.

AI Law NewsFlag of Australia
Claims Journal
May 4, 2026
Australia Regulator Threatens Enforcement for Poor AI Controls

Coverage from Claims Journal on AI legislation and regulation relevant to Australia.

Claims Journal·→
AI Law NewsFlag of Australia
Mirage News
June 10, 2026
Australia's AI Regulation Set for Crucial Review

Coverage from Mirage News on AI legislation and regulation relevant to Australia.

Mirage News·→
AI Law NewsFlag of Australia
Ticker News
June 11, 2026
AI compliance shock as shadow AI risks surge and privacy laws tighten in Australia

Coverage from Ticker News on AI legislation and regulation relevant to Australia.

Ticker News·→
AI Law NewsFlag of Australia
MSN
June 4, 2026
CPA Australia critiques AI regulation report, calls for SME support

Coverage from MSN on AI legislation and regulation relevant to Australia.

MSN·→
AI Law NewsFlag of Australia
Norton Rose Fulbright
May 8, 2026
Silent AI risks finally make some noise | Australia | Global law firm

Coverage from Norton Rose Fulbright on AI legislation and regulation relevant to Australia.

Norton Rose Fulbright·→

High-risk industries to watch in Australia

🏥 Healthcare
🏦 Finance
👔 HR & Hiring
🛡️ Insurance
⚖️ Legal
🎓 Education

US-based? Check your state laws too

If you're a US company serving Australia customers, you need to comply with both your state's AI laws and Australia regulation.

US AI laws hub →All 51 US jurisdictions →EU AI Act →Check my state →
Editorial standards

Sources verified against official .gov filings · Last verified Jun 16, 2026.

Official sources · Australia