Director of the Centre for Artificial Intelligence and Digital Ethics at the University of Melbourne

The researcher from the University of Melbourne said that if autonomous AI agents continue to access unauthorised databases, they will eventually cause harm or damage that could trigger legal liability.

The researcher also noted that enforcement mechanisms are critical to ensuring companies take safety protocols seriously: 'So if countries ramp up their enforcement mechanisms, that's likely to bring home the importance of safety measures.'

The researcher said the current legal framework has not kept pace with AI capability, but emphasised that the issue is not simply outdated law but companies failing to follow rules that already exist.

Source: ABC News Australia