Commonwealth Bank of Australia has signed a new copyright agreement that will see licence fees paid to Australian creators and publishers. The deal covers the use of eligible news content in workplace generative AI tools.
The bank is the first major Australian bank to sign the Copyright Agency Business Licence with these AI permissions. The agreement was announced on 2 October 2026.
Under the deal, CommBank staff can use eligible Australian newspaper text and other covered content in prompts for AI tools at work. The fees paid will go back to creators and publishers, including local news media.
What the CommBank AI Licence Covers
The agreement extends Copyright Agency's existing Annual Business Licence. That licence already covers everyday workplace copying and sharing of material such as news articles, research papers and book extracts.
The new permissions add generative AI use to that list. Eligible content can now be included in prompts for workplace AI tools.
For example, an employee could use a news article to ask an AI tool for a summary. Staff could also use content to help create a new document, such as a presentation.
The licence has clear limits. It does not allow licensed content to be used to train, create or improve an AI model.
CommBank CEO Matt Comyn said the deal was part of a responsible approach to AI. "Responsible AI adoption includes considering how we use content," he said.
Comyn said the licence gives staff the right to use Australian news content to get the most from AI tools. He said this would help them improve their work and better serve customers.
"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," Comyn said.
AI Use Grows in Australian Workplaces
The agreement comes as generative AI becomes more common in Australian offices. Research by Fiftyfive5 for Copyright Agency in 2025 found 64% of white-collar workers surveyed had used generative AI for work.
Among those users, 47% included third-party material in AI prompts at least once a week. This material included published text and images.
Copyright Agency CEO Josephine Johnston said published content holds real value for businesses. She noted that the way staff use that content is changing.
"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," Johnston said.
The deal follows other AI steps taken by CommBank this year. In February 2026, the bank released an Australian-first report on how it develops, deploys and manages AI.
That report covered the bank's approach to governance and to managing the risks tied to the technology.
The bank said more than 27,600 employees had taken part in its AI learning series by the end of 2025.
Under the new licence, the fees CommBank pays will return to Australian creators and publishers. The money is intended to support ongoing investment in creating Australian content.
