Arts Minister Tony Burke has opened consultation for the next National Cultural Policy. It is intended that the new policy will build on Revive, the current cultural policy, including carrying its five pillars forward. Burke wants to know where the gaps are in Revive and what emerging opportunities and issues have come up since it was released.
Also arts and culture related, Creative Australia and Australia Reads have published Reaching Australian readers, research identifying reading behaviours in Australians and strategies to boost recreational reading and music streaming platforms Spotify and Apple Music are doing more to encourage live music attendance. Spotify has also launched SongDNA, an interactive way to explore the creative connections between music – collaborators, samples and covers.
Anthropic has put out analysis of responses to a massive global survey Claude conducted which saw more than 80,000 people respond. It found that a primary driver for AI use is increased productivity to reclaim ‘me time' and ‘family time’. The research looks at people’s hopes for and concerns with AI, which often present as coexisting tensions, where the capabilities that generate hope, such as time-saving and learning, also produce fears like illusory productivity and cognitive atrophy.
This week we also saw the US Federal Communications Commission (FCC) ban all foreign-made routers over national security concerns. And there were even more acquisitions of AI companies by Big Tech companies.
And if you are still with me, the bit on the side this week includes a new AI and copyright court case by Encyclopaedia Britannica and the Merriam-Webster Dictionary against ChatGPT-maker OpenAI, the US Department of Justice (DOJ) says political favours won’t fast track the Paramount–Warner Bros. merger and AI device maker Rabbit is keen to make an coding-focused low-end PC.
Oh, I am also testing a new rapid-fire section at the start of the newsletter for very quick news. Let me know what you think of it.
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Rapid-fire
A short list of other things:
- Alison Dellit is the new Director-General of the National Library of Australia (NLA). Also Esther Anatolitis joins the National Museum of Australia Council. Congratulations to both!
- OpenAI is shutting down its AI short-form video social media app Sora. The announcement was made on X today. It is interesting timing given they shared an update about safety on the platform just two days ago.
- Acting CEO State Library Victoria John Wicks is joining the Art Gallery of New South Wales (AGNSW) as Deputy Director and Chief Operating Officer at and Wayne Tunnicliffe has been appointed Director of Collections and Exhibitions.
- Queensland craft and design artisan has set up shop in its new home at the State Library of Queensland (SLQ).
- The Australian Government is consulting on proposed changes to the National Classification Scheme. Submissions close on Monday 4 May.
- The Australian Research Council (ARC) have updated their Open Access Policy, including new requirements for research conducted with, by or for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and communities. The new policy takes effect on 1 July 2026.
- Flickr Foundation faces funding concerns and is reducing its programs to focus solely on Flickr Commons.
What’s been going on?
Here's WTF happened this week:
Consultation for the next National Cultural Policy has started
The Australian Government is seeking public input into the next National Cultural Policy. Building off the enduring pillars in the current policy, Revive, the government seeks views on the challenges and opportunities for each pillar, why the pillars matter and what should be included in the next policy.
The Australian Government is seeking public input into the next National Cultural Policy. Building off the enduring pillars in the current policy, Revive, the government seeks views on the challenges and opportunities for each pillar, why the pillars matter and what should be included in the next policy.
