Breaking: SA launches royal commission into artificial intelligence

South Australia is establishing a royal commission to investigate artificial intelligence and the policies surrounding its development. Premier Peter Malinauskas announced the inquiry, stating that AI presents a "material risk to the way society operates" if not managed properly.

“

artificial intelligence and the policy development around it

The commission, set to begin in October and report by mid-next year, aims to harness the advantages of AI while mitigating its potential downsides. Malinauskas emphasized the critical juncture at which society stands, offering a choice between unregulated AI growth and proactively setting "guard rails and the policy frameworks" to ensure AI development prioritizes human well-being.

“

material risk to the way society operates

Malinauskas's initiative follows a recent trip to the United States, where he met with leading AI companies including OpenAI, Anthropic, and Apple. He highlighted AI as both an exciting opportunity for human advancement and a potential threat to societal structures and employment if not carefully considered.

“

We are at a really important fork in the road where we can choose to allow this industry to come to our country and evolve in a way that is unregulated and unchecked

The royal commission intends to guide the responsible integration of AI, ensuring its evolution benefits humanity without causing undue disruption to social operations or the future of work.

“

Or we can choose to set the agenda. We can choose to set the guard rails and the policy frameworks to ensure that we use AI in a way that puts people first.