Australia’s News Media Bargaining Code: Second Movement and AI Coda

A regulatory settlement clarifying AI training obligations under the Code would likely reduce legal uncertainty for platforms operating in Australia, potentially easing compliance costs for those with established licensing frameworks while creating new revenue streams for news publishers.

Continued ambiguity around whether AI model training falls under the Code's scope would plausibly leave platforms in a gray zone, allowing de facto continuation of current practices while news publishers pursue case-by-case disputes without systemic resolution.

Regulatory expansion of the Code to explicitly mandate licensing fees for AI training data would put pressure on platform margins in Australia and create precedent risk for similar rules in other jurisdictions, potentially affecting how large language model developers source and license training material globally.