Watchdog Criticises 'Culture of Secrecy' at ABC's Four Corners as Trump Renews Attack on AI Regulation

A watchdog has criticised what it described as a "culture of secrecy" surrounding fact-checking practices at the Australian Broadcasting Corporation's Four Corners program, according to a live news report from The Guardian. Specific details of the watchdog's findings were not elaborated on in the initial report.

The criticism emerged the same day that U.S. President Donald Trump lashed out at countries seeking to regulate artificial intelligence, according to the Australian Associated Press. Trump reportedly went as far as suggesting that the technology's name should be changed to ease public anxiety about it, arguing that the word "artificial" makes the technology sound more concerning than it is.

Awkward Timing for Albanese

Trump's comments came at what was described as an awkward moment for Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, who had urged further safeguards against AI just a day earlier. Compounding the timing, the Australian government has reportedly been warned by the Trump administration about "censorship" concerns related to Canberra's plans to curb the algorithms used by major technology companies.

The developments were reported as part of a rolling live coverage of Australian news, with the AI-related exchange occurring around the same period as the discussions at the UN General Assembly in New York, where both Trump and Albanese were in attendance.