Australian MP Says Microsoft Copilot Suggested 'Congratulations!' for Dying Constituent's Assisted Dying Letter

An Australian MP has revealed that Microsoft Copilot proposed he respond to a terminally ill constituent's plan to end his life with assisted dying by saying "congratulations!" or "that is wonderful news!", according to testimony at a parliamentary inquiry on Friday.

Andrew Hastie shared the exchange to highlight the shortcomings of American-run software, as he pushed for AI operated by Australians.

The inquiry heard detailed arguments for bringing Anthropic and OpenAI to Australia. The Australian Signals Directorate's director general, Abigail Bradshaw, said her agents rely on advanced AI daily to counter malicious cyber actors, warning that losing access to newer models could let adversaries exploit vulnerabilities first. She said the agency is entirely reliant on US-based processing and would lose capability dramatically if cut off during a conflict.

The defence department's chief AI officer, Chris Crozier, said the government is already contracting Google to build interlinked datacentres across Australia, disconnected from the US, so that nobody can simply switch them off. The Office of AI said bringing firms under Australian law would help law enforcement combat platform threats.

Standards being consulted on would require AI companies to report issues and breaches, potentially reserve computing power for local research, and oblige large datacentres to engage communities, build away from schools and homes, and underwrite new renewables in most states. Copyright reform remains unsettled, with developers refusing to train models locally without it. The attorney general's department confirmed looser laws would also affect access to foreign-made content distributed in Australia.

The prime minister's department said Anthony Albanese wants draft laws on broader AI standards by the end of 2026.

Source: The Guardian