The Competitive Edge

The Secret Agent: Peter Waters and Andrew Low on the rise and the risks of agentic AI in commerce

The Competitive Edge

Show Notes

Legend emeritus Peter Waters and Partner Andrew Low take us through the rise and the risks of agentic AI in commerce and beyond: how AI agents can organise our holidays and even our lives, why we might or might not want them to, and how they interface with contract, competition and consumer protection law. Plus, Australia's highest individual competition law penalty in the Qteq case, and the US war against Iran brings concerns over fuel supply and pricing as well as limits on AI. All this and Maxwell Smart with co-hosts Moya Dodd and Matt Rubinstein. Links:   The ACCC's fuel price monitoring updates Treasury Laws Amendment (Doubling Penalties for ACCC Enforcement) Bill 2026 One of the David Byrnes talks to the ABC about petrol prices The other one sings "(Nothing but) Flowers" Anthropic on its dispute with the Department of War and its preliminary reprieve (for now) Meet the Gilbert + Tobin Competition, Consumer + Market Regulation team Email us at [email protected] Support the show: https://www.gtlaw.com.au/ See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

More from The Competitive Edge

Oct 22, 2026

Romany Webb, Deputy Director of the Sabin Centre for Climate Change Law at Columbia University takes us through the whiplash of the energy transition in the United States, from the Green New Deal to Drill Baby Drill, and how governments and courts have made and remade climate policy. Plus IAG and RAC test-drive the new public benefits merger test, Coles takes its Kalgoorlie expansion to the Tribunal, and artificial intelligence becomes super intelligence … All this and Mission Impossible with co-hosts Moya Dodd and Matt Rubinstein. Links: The New Yorker on all the President's movies James Hennessy on Sydney at the End of the World IAG on its public benefits application Uber Eats in Kalgoorlie-Boulder Inaugurating the Era of Super Intelligence Superintelligence: The Movie Romany Webb's presentation Our Climate Change and Sustainability team update on the High Court's decision in MACH Energy Australia v Denman Aberdeen Muswellbrook Scone Healthy Environment Group Meet the Gilbert + Tobin Competition, Consumer + Market Regulation team Email us at [email protected]

Sep 25, 2026

Commissioner Luke Woodward takes us through the ACCC's evolving approach to enforcement – from undertakings and infringement notices to dawn raids and court action – and how the ACCC is grappling with, and using, AI. Plus the latest merger reform reforms recalibrate the new regime; the one remedy to rule them all; unfair contract terms and irony in ASIC v CashnGo; and calls for antitrust authorisations to avoid anthropomorphised AI agents absconding … All this and our 5th birthday with co-hosts Moya Dodd and Matt Rubinstein. Links "The Equalizer" intro Breaker Morant trailer Edward Woodward's Scottish accent in The Wicker Man G+T on the latest changes to the merger review framework The Peter Warren/Wakeling Automotive and Kimberly-Clark/Kenvue deals on the acquisitions register Kia: The Features Film The ASIC v Venture 5 Group (t/as CashnGo) proceedings Hugh Jackman as Wolverine and Ian Jackman as Justice Wolverine ABC on the OpenAI agent breakout in the AI's own words Meet the Gilbert + Tobin Competition, Consumer + Market Regulation team Email us at [email protected] Support the show: https://www.gtlaw.com.au/ See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Sep 2, 2026

Energy partner Jamie Guthrie and Competition partner Geoff Petersen give us some good news on the energy transition, along with the challenges that lie ahead -- what the governments and energy networks are doing, the impact of data centres, how to finance it all, and a quasi-carbon tax. Plus merger reform reform gets closer, serial acquisitions in pets and vets, carmakers pull a fast one and the ACCC is furious, and FIFA finds out … All this and Marty McFly with co-hosts Moya Dodd and Matt Rubinstein. Links: Dr Emmett Lathrop Brown PhD on 1.21GW The long-awaited Treasury Laws Amendment (Strengthening Accountability for Tax Adviser Misconduct and Other Measures) Bill 2026 More French leave in the Phase 2 Adelaide Hills vet merger, and the Microstar/Konvoy beer keg merger is 86ed The Furious 7 skydriving scene and the ACCC's case against Subaru The Hood's many defeats on The Thunderbirds The Nelson Review, aka the National Electricity Market wholesale market settings review RES Group's 1.21GW Meet the Gilbert + Tobin Competition, Consumer + Market Regulation team Email us at [email protected] Shai-Hulud Support the show: https://www.gtlaw.com.au/ See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Aug 19, 2026

That's a RAP: First Nations leaders Rachel Perkins, Fiona Jose and Shane Phillips join us at the Sydney launch of G+T's new Stretch Reconciliation Action Plan. What's a RAP, what's a Stretch RAP, what's our RAP, and what's the competition and consumer connection? Plus optimism and pessimism, model Ts and AI at the ACCC/AER Regulatory Conference, the Golden Globes lodge the Penske File, and the plan to wrap the Opera House. All this and more with co-hosts Moya Dodd and Matt Rubinstein. Links:   Things that Christo and Jeanne-Claude wrapped or wanted to wrap Jayde Richmond from the National Anti-Scam Centre at the Bannerman Competition Lecture AER's final decision on the Basslink conversion Marinus Link and Marinus Dijkhuizen G+T on the new mandatory standards for large-scale data centres and the Office of AI Bono at the 2003 Golden Globes (NSFW) Meet the Gilbert + Tobin Competition, Consumer + Market Regulation team Email us at [email protected] Support the show: https://www.gtlaw.com.au/ See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Aug 3, 2026

Partner Elizabeth Avery gives us a world tour of new directions in competition law, theories of harm and merger review both here and overseas, and lessons from our role in the Paramount / Warner Bros merger. Plus news you can use on all the Phase 2s, declarations and exemptions in exceptional circumstances, scambling and other portmanteaux, and how to watch — and how definitely not to watch — The Odyssey … All this and — — — with co-hosts Moya Dodd and Matt Rubinstein. Links: Twenty Twenty Six on the BBC and the ABC How Perez Prado's Mambo No. 5 became that other one Coles's applications to the Competition Tribunal and the Federal Court L1 Dominette 01449's genome The Government's "exceptional circumstances" bill and the ACCC's class exemption The National Anti-Scam Centre's "scambling" taskforce and NSW's "betiquette" spot The Washington Post on all the ways you can watch The Odyssey Or you could read it! Meet the Gilbert + Tobin Competition, Consumer + Market Regulation team Email us at [email protected]

See all episodes →