Australian tribunal bans AI-generated emails after bullying case ruling

A bullying dispute involving a caretaker for a Queensland body corporate was heard by the Fair Work Commission, where Commissioner Sarah McKinnon concluded the worker had been subjected to bullying. She highlighted that the email exchanges between the caretaker and the employer were "lengthy, wide-ranging, replete with generalisations, repetitive, and often couched in accusatory language," and appeared to have been produced using artificial-intelligence tools.

To prevent further harassment, the commissioner ordered that all future correspondence be concise, accurate, respectful and must not employ AI generators. Academics such as Mai Nguyen of Griffith University and Daniel Angus of Queensland University of Technology cautioned that AI prompts can exaggerate facts and that the lack of clear disclosure may erode trust. Legal scholar Guzyal one outlet noted the absence of a national AI Act, leaving organisations to craft their own policies, while HWLE Lawyers advised against feeding confidential information into AI systems. The ruling underscores growing concerns about AI's role in workplace communications.