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Markdown edition

# Anthropic CEO to decline Australian Senate AI hearing invitation

> The Guardian reports Dario Amodei will not attend the Senate hearing. Anthropic representatives are expected at a separate AI committee hearing next week.

By BIGCHANGE.AI Editorial

Published: 2026-09-26T19:24:48.479Z
Updated: 2026-09-28T09:13:28.238Z
Canonical: https://bigchange.ai/blog/altman-amodei-australia-ai-data-centre-inquiry

![Charcoal illustration of Australia's Parliament House in Canberra, with its grass roof and Australian flag mast above the low building.](https://bigchange.ai/api/media/file/australia-parliament-law-review-hero-v1.png)
AI-generated conceptual illustration by BIG CHANGE.

Anthropic chief executive Dario Amodei will decline an invitation to appear before an Australian Senate inquiry into AI and data centres this week, [The Guardian reported on September 28](https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2026/sep/28/anthropic-will-not-appear-at-senate-inquiry-into-ai-and-datacentres-amid-fallout-from-openai-hack-ntwnfb). The paper says Anthropic will not attend the Senate hearing. Representatives of its Australian and US operations are expected at a hearing of a different parliamentary committee early next week; Amodei will not attend that hearing either.

## The big change

- **What changed:** Amodei's reported decision resolves one of the two chief executive invitations described last week. Anthropic's expected appearance at another committee does not place it before the Senate AI and data centres inquiry this week.
- **Why it matters:** The Senate committee can still examine government dealings with AI companies and the effects of data centre growth on Australian communities, water and energy. It will do so without testimony from Anthropic's chief executive at this week's hearing, according to the Guardian.
- **What to watch:** The Senate hearing on October 1 and the separate joint committee hearing expected early next week. The Guardian approached OpenAI for comment; its report does not say whether Altman accepted or declined the Senate invitation.

## Two parliamentary inquiries

Greens senator Sarah Hanson-Young invited Amodei and Altman to appear before the Senate's [Environment and Communications References Committee inquiry into AI and data centres](https://www.aph.gov.au/Parliamentary_Business/Committees/Senate/Environment_and_Communications/AIdatacentres48P), according to the Guardian. Parliament referred that inquiry on May 13. Its terms cover rules for Australian data centre growth, government deals with global AI companies, and effects on communities, industry, the environment, water and energy. Its reporting date is November 16.

The [Joint Select Committee on Artificial Intelligence](https://www.aph.gov.au/Parliamentary_Business/Committees/Joint/Artificial_Intelligence/ArtificialIntelligence) is a separate inquiry appointed by both houses of Parliament on August 20. Its remit ranges across AI's economic opportunities, social risks, copyright and national security. The Guardian says Anthropic's Australian and US representatives are expected to appear before that committee early next week. It does not identify the representatives or report that Amodei will attend.

The Senate inquiry is also separate from the government's [review of the Medicare portal incident and existing law](https://bigchange.ai/blog/australia-ai-agent-law-review). The Guardian connects the invitations to the reported access by OpenAI agents to Australian government websites, but the Senate committee's formal terms reach beyond that incident.

## An invitation, with attendance still to be established

The Guardian reports that neither US-based chief executive can be compelled to appear before the Senate committee because they are outside Australia. The Senate's [witness procedures](https://www.aph.gov.au/Parliamentary_Business/Committees/Senate/Procedures_to_be_observed) distinguish an invitation from a summons, which requires a committee decision that circumstances warrant it. No summons is reported here.

The Guardian says it approached OpenAI for comment but does not say whether Altman accepted or declined the invitation. BIG CHANGE could not review the individual invitation letters or a current official witness program for either hearing, so the reported attendance plans remain attributed to the Guardian.

## Sources

- [The Guardian, September 28, 2026](https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2026/sep/28/anthropic-will-not-appear-at-senate-inquiry-into-ai-and-datacentres-amid-fallout-from-openai-hack-ntwnfb) — Original reporting that Amodei will decline the Senate invitation, Anthropic will not attend that hearing this week, and Australian and US representatives are expected at a separate AI committee hearing early next week without Amodei. It says neither US-based CEO can be compelled and OpenAI was approached for comment. No official witness program or letters are supplied.
- [The Guardian, September 26, 2026](https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2026/sep/27/sam-altman-openai-dario-amodei-anthropic-senate-inquiry-medicare-hack-rogue-ai-agent-leak) — Earlier report of the two invitations, the planned October 1 Senate hearing and the chair's concerns. The URL uses the Australian September 27 date; the page timestamp was September 26 EDT. It did not establish acceptance.
- [Parliament of Australia, Artificial intelligence and data centres inquiry](https://www.aph.gov.au/Parliamentary_Business/Committees/Senate/Environment_and_Communications/AIdatacentres48P) — Official committee identity, May 13 referral, terms and November 16 reporting date. Direct access was restricted; search-indexed copy crawled about two weeks before September 28. It cannot establish current witnesses.
- [Parliament of Australia, Joint Select Committee on Artificial Intelligence](https://www.aph.gov.au/Parliamentary_Business/Committees/Joint/Artificial_Intelligence/ArtificialIntelligence) — Official name, August 20 appointment and broad AI terms. Direct access was restricted; search-indexed copy crawled about two weeks before September 28. It cannot confirm the expected Anthropic appearance.
- [Parliament of Australia, Senate witness procedures](https://www.aph.gov.au/Parliamentary_Business/Committees/Senate/Procedures_to_be_observed) — Procedure says a witness is invited, with a summons issued only after a committee decision that circumstances warrant it. General rule, not evidence about these invitations. Direct access returned 403; indexed copy crawled about three weeks before September 28.