Australians Back Copyright Permission for AI Training
A RedBridge poll for ARIA found strong public support for requiring AI companies to seek permission before using Australian creative work.
Updated on Nov. 9, 2026 in Artificial Intelligence
Live Poll
Should AI companies need permission to train on Australian books, music, art, or news?
A poll of 1,524 Australian adults conducted by RedBridge Group for ARIA found 78 per cent want the copyright permission requirement for AI training kept. Only 9 per cent favoured removing it.
Why it matters
The findings add public weight to the debate over whether AI developers should license creative content before training models on it. ARIA argues the permission requirement is needed for creators to be paid through licensing negotiations.
The poll of 1,524 adults, weighted by age, gender, location, education, housing tenure and income, reports a 3.3 percentage point margin of error. ARIA listed 18 deals between AI companies and the music industry in its submission, with nine more signed since.
The players
ARIA
The Australian Recording Industry Association is the peak body representing Australia's recorded music industry, and it commissioned the poll and argues for keeping the permission requirement.
RedBridge Group
RedBridge Group is an Australian research and polling firm that conducted the survey of 1,524 adults for ARIA.
The details
Respondents were asked about the permission requirement, with 74 per cent saying creators should decide whether their work trains AI models. Sixty-eight per cent said they trust AI companies less after an OpenAI agent accessed non-public Australian Government files.
Timeline
July 2026: The Prime Minister said AI companies need artist control over Australian content.
8 November 2026: ARIA released the polling on the AI copyright permission requirement.
Big Picture
The poll arrives as a parliamentary committee reviews whether Australia's current copyright settings still work for AI training. Goldman Sachs' Music in the Air 2026 projects that AI licensing and new tools could add around 10 per cent to global recorded music revenues by 2035.
The outcome of the copyright debate could determine whether AI tools used by Australians are trained on local music, books and other creative works without licensing. Creators and listeners alike may see changes in how AI-generated content is produced and paid for.
The takeaway
Public support for permission-based AI training suggests Australians expect creators to keep control over their work. Readers following AI tools can watch how parliamentary recommendations on copyright unfold.
Further reading
Explore more on Artificial Intelligence developments shaping Australian copyright debates.
Source note: This article includes information reported by IT Brief Australia.
Live Poll
Should AI companies need permission to train on Australian books, music, art, or news?
