Australia does not have a single AI Act. Instead, agencies have been publishing guidance, and 2026 has brought several items aimed at agentic AI, meaning systems that take actions rather than only answer questions. This summary is based on secondary reports. Confirm the details on the agencies' own websites before you rely on them.
What has been reported
- 10 August 2026: the Department of Industry, Science and Resources was reported to have published a report on risks and controls for multi-agent systems.
- 20 August 2026: a Joint Select Committee on Artificial Intelligence was reported to have been appointed.
- 11 September 2026: the Australian Signals Directorate (ASD) was reported to have issued guidance on agentic AI harnesses, the software that wraps a model and gives it tools.
- 24 July 2026: ASD guidance on agentic AI in cyber defence was also reported.
What this means for a business
None of this is a new law on its own, but it shows what regulators and security agencies expect: clear limits on what an agent can do, human oversight, logging, and attention to security. If something goes wrong, being able to show you followed current guidance helps.
Duties that already apply
- The Privacy Act and the Australian Privacy Principles for personal information, including customer and tenant data.
- The Australian Consumer Law, which applies to what an AI agent tells customers.
- Sector rules if you work in finance, health or property.
A practical starting list
- List every AI agent or AI feature in use, and who owns each.
- Record what data each can see and what actions it can take.
- Require human approval for steps that affect money, contracts or people.
- Keep logs, and review them regularly.
- Test for prompt injection and for wrong answers before launch and after each change.
- Tell customers when they are talking to an AI, and give a way to reach a person.
- Check where your data is processed and stored, and what your contracts allow.
Keep watching
Guidance is moving quickly. Ask your adviser to confirm the current position for your industry before launching an agent that touches customers or money.
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