Advice Or Briefing Material Provided By The Department To The Attorney-General's Office In Relation To The Use Of AI Bots Potentially Being Used By Foreign Actors To Create An Overload Of Anonymous…

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The Attorney-General's Department released briefing material and talking points (dated 30 August 2025) addressing concerns about AI-generated Freedom of Information requests potentially being weaponised by foreign actors. The document indicates the department consulted with the National Intelligence Community on whether foreign adversaries exploit FOI processes to gather intelligence, with advice noting this is a known tactic but detailed findings remain classified. Domestically, Australian agencies reported significant volumes of AI-generated FOI requests through automated webforms and request generators, with one agency estimating approximately 20% of personal and 50% of non-personal FOI matters contained AI-generated content. US examples cited included election workers receiving thousands of AI-generated requests during the 2020 period. The talking points suggest removing anonymity from FOI requests as a potential deterrent. Substantial redactions under section 22(1) (Commonwealth legal professional privilege) and cabinet confidentiality apply throughout, limiting visibility of specific advice and policy recommendations developed for broader communications and debate strategy.