Australian creators and publishers will receive licence fees from a new copyright agreement covering Commonwealth Bank’s workplace use of generative AI.
CommBank has become the first major Australian bank to sign a Copyright Agency Business Licence that gives its people permission to use eligible Australian newspaper text and other covered content in prompts for workplace AI tools.
The fees paid under the agreement will go back to creators and publishers, including those in the local news media sector, supporting ongoing investment in the creation of Australian content.
Supporting responsible AI use
CommBank CEO Matt Comyn said the agreement was part of taking a responsible approach to adopting AI.
“Responsible AI adoption includes considering how we use content,” Comyn said.
"This licence gives our people the right to use Australian news content so that they can maximise the benefit of generative AI tools to improve their work and better serve our customers,” he said.
“This is a practical step that shows innovation and the fair treatment of rights holders can be mutually beneficial, as we adapt to new technologies.”
What does the licence cover?
The agreement extends Copyright Agency’s existing Annual Business Licence, which covers everyday workplace copying and sharing of material including news articles, research papers and extracts from books.
The new GenAI permissions mean eligible Australian newspaper text and other covered content can also be included in prompts for workplace AI tools.
For example, an employee could use eligible content to ask an AI tool for a summary or to help create a new document such as a presentation.
The agreement does not allow licensed content to be used to train, create or improve an AI model.
AI changing how published content is used
The agreement comes as generative AI becomes increasingly common in Australian workplaces.
Research conducted by Fiftyfive5 for Copyright Agency in 2025 found 64% of white-collar employees surveyed had used generative AI for work. Among those users, 47% included third-party material, such as published text and images, in AI prompts at least weekly.
Copyright Agency CEO Josephine Johnston said journalism and other published material had significant value to businesses as the way employees use content changes.
“Journalism and other published content have extraordinary value to businesses, whether staff are sharing an article with colleagues or using it in a prompt for an AI tool,” she said.
Building on CommBank’s responsible AI approach
The copyright agreement follows a series of moves by CommBank as it expands its use of AI and the skills of its workforce.
Earlier this year, the bank published an Australian-first report outlining how it develops, deploys and manages AI, including its approach to governance and managing the risks associated with the technology. The bank said more than 27,600 employees had engaged with its AI learning series by the end of 2025.
