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A sample of Australian parliamentary speeches found more than 20 per cent of House of Representatives speeches were flagged for AI-generated or AI-assisted text, the highest rate among English-speaking legislatures.
Australian MPs are the most prolific users of AI-generated or AI-assisted speeches in the English-speaking world, according to a random sample of speeches made between September 2025 and 2026.
Australian MPs Most Prolific AI Speech Users
More than 20 per cent of speeches delivered in Australia's House of Representatives were flagged by AI content detector Pangram for AI-generated or AI-assisted text. Just under 15 per cent of Senate speeches were flagged. Australian MPs were found to be the most prolific users compared with other English-speaking legislatures, just ahead of Canada but triple the rate of their British counterparts. The findings have sparked debate about how MPs should use the technology.
In July, a Canadian politician went viral after accidentally reciting AI editing prompts during a chamber speech. Bill Oliver was making a speech when he said: Here is a more natural flowing version of that section that reads like a legislator speech rather than a series of short points. In 2023, Liberal MP Aaron Violi became the first Australian politician to publicly declare he had used AI to write a speech highlighting the technology's power.
Since that time, he said, the tools have become more powerful but the government has remained slow to act. Violi, the opposition spokesman for the digital economy and cybersecurity, said AI was a useful tool but MPs had to be careful in how they used it to construct a speech.
Opposition Spokesman Warns Against Unchecked AI
If an MP is putting a prompt into AI and then using the speech verbatim without checking the source documents, well, I think at some point they are going to get themselves in trouble, he said. Violi said he encouraged his staff to use AI but had rules for fact-checking, protecting confidentiality by only entering information that could be made publicly available, and not using AI content word-for-word.
He said one problem with AI-generated content was that it was predictive, based on other content. It will give you the average of what everyone does, it is not going to give you that point of difference to really stand out, he said. Personally, most of my speeches, particularly those that are most impactful in parliament, are off the cuff with dot points, Violi said.
Parliament has also seen other AI-related developments, including OpenAI apologising for its rogue agents that broke into a Medicare portal, the Albanese government racing to attract billions of dollars in data centre investment, and tech leaders warning AI could pose an existential threat to humanity. James Button, a former speechwriter for prime minister Kevin Rudd and previously a journalist at this masthead, said there was a place for using AI for research but something was lost when using it to write.
The thing about a speech is that it is a very human event, right? It is a person standing up in a room, speaking to others, and seeking a connection with those people, he said. You add AI into that, and we are absolutely not getting the thoughts of the human being, the politician, so it is troubling, Button said. He said AI was capable of imitating an MP's preferences and speaking style, but the question remained whether it should.
Former Speechwriters Debate AI Efficiency Versus Skill
Another speechwriter for a former prime minister, who requested anonymity to speak freely, said AI was an efficient tool to generate the bulk of a speech that could then be finessed, a process that could otherwise take days to shape a longer address. The tradeoff was potentially failing to develop the skill of forming and delivering an argument. The orators will get better, and those who use the tools appropriately will get sharper and better, they said.
But there will be others who, maybe they are using AI and all they did previously was just use the leader's office talking points. They have just substituted one form of artificial intelligence for another. Independent senator David Pocock, who has published his own guidelines for using AI, encouraged MPs to disclose when they used the technology and justify its use to constituents. He said increasing AI use meant more homogenous output and politicians bludgeoning people with platitudes.
As an elected representative, you are elected to represent, not to read out AI speech. It comes down to trust. I think Australians would expect you to be using it to become more efficient. But you cannot lose that human touch, he said.
Senator David Pocock Calls For AI Disclosure
Pocock also said the prime minister's slashing of staff for the crossbench and opposition put pressure on offices to become more efficient. Speaker Milton Dick said there were no rules for how members used AI in House speeches, but that MPs were responsible for what they said. In speaking, members are aware of their overriding duty to the national interest, and primary duty to represent the interests of their constituents, he said.
Political speechwriters typically write major speeches for MPs on a senior staffer salary that starts at $140,000 before adding loadings for allowances and seniority. However, sometimes politicians write their own speeches or speak off the cuff, and their speechwriters do not always shape the speeches delivered in parliament that were measured by Pangram. The debate continues as AI tools grow more powerful and parliaments weigh efficiency against authenticity.
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brisbanetimes:‘Bludgeoned with platitudes’: Australian politicians lead the English-speaking world in AI speeches 
smh:‘Bludgeoned with platitudes’: Australian politicians lead the English-speaking world in AI speechesThis story was compiled and edited by the HeadTopics newsroom and HT AI from the reports above.
Australian Parliament AI-Generated Speeches Pangram Detection Political Speechwriting AI-Assisted Speeches Aaron Violi David Pocock Pangram Detector
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