Arabic version: جنوب أستراليا تطلق لجنة ملكية للتحقيق في الذكاء الاصطناعي

According to ABC News, South Australia will hold a royal commission into artificial intelligence, the first Australian inquiry into AI at that level. Premier Peter Malinauskas said AI offered opportunities for humanity but posed risks to society and future work if not carefully considered.

Malinauskas said the state could either allow the industry to develop “unregulated and unchecked” or establish guard rails and policy frameworks that put people first. He recently travelled to the United States, meeting representatives of OpenAI, Anthropic and Apple. During the trip, he signed a memorandum of understanding with OpenAI to explore AI skills, research, innovation, investment and benefits across South Australia.

The inquiry is intended to shape future approaches to AI, including possible restrictions on its use. It will consider effects on education, skills, employment, public services such as health, creative industries and infrastructure including the electricity grid. It will not consider underlying AI infrastructure such as data centres.

UNSW AI Institute chief scientist Toby Walsh said the commission could complement the federal government’s AI framework and potentially influence national rules. However, Walsh and University of Sydney AI ethics expert Dr Rebecca Johnson warned that AI development was moving rapidly and that many risks were already known.

Malinauskas expects the commission to cost about $3 million. Businesses, unions, industry bodies, technology companies and academics are expected to participate. The inquiry is scheduled to begin on October 1 and deliver its report to the government no later than July 1 next year; a commissioner has not yet been selected.