SA Royal Commission into AI Begins Work with Expert Panel

South Australia's Royal Commission into Artificial Intelligence is set to begin its work today, led by three experts appointed by the state government. The commission, announced by Premier Peter Malinauskas, will examine the opportunities and implications of AI in South Australia.

Expert Commissioners Appointed

Former federal court judge Dr Iain Ross AO will lead the royal commission, alongside former Tech Council of Australia CEO Kate Pounder and artificial intelligence expert Christopher Manning. The commission's terms of reference include examining the economic and societal opportunities and implications of AI in South Australia.

"They start their work today. There is no point in mucking about here, particularly given the speed at which this is moving," Mr Malinauskas said.

Royal Commission's Objectives

The royal commission is expected to deliver a report to the government no later than July 1 next year. Its objectives include looking into opportunities, barriers, and policy settings for AI to improve productivity, innovation, and economic growth, as well as leveraging the social benefits of AI while safeguarding people and society from related risks and challenges.

Kate Pounder (left) and Iain Ross (second left) will lead SA's Royal Commission into AI alongside Christopher Manning.

Commissioners' Backgrounds

Mr Malinauskas said Dr Ross is a Reserve Bank monetary board member, the chair of the Net Zero Commission, and was president of the Fair Work Commission at "a time of great change within the labour market."

"Iain's expertise are critical because one of the key focuses of the royal commission is to consider what the implications are of AI on the future of work more broadly," he said. "We know that AI is already changing the way people live, but most critically the way they work."

"Iain has a full appreciation of how government policy can have an impact on the way we work."

The premier said Ms Pounder would bring expertise on industry policy development, while Professor Manning, based in California's Stanford University, has been "at the forefront of the development of artificial intelligence technology."

"He [Professor Manning] provides us access to the heartbeat of the industry and understanding the way this technology is evolving because of course it is moving at pace, but that's something prof Manning has been a witness to and party to right from AI's inception," Mr Malinauskas said.

Addressing the Fast-Evolving Nature of AI

During the press conference, Dr Ross was questioned about his confidence in the inquiry's findings not being out of date, given AI's fast-evolving nature.

"Yes, there will be elements where the technology might move quickly, but the structural fundamentals around how do you get your settings right to enable innovation to flow through an economy — those are probably consistent features," he said.

"I acknowledge the fast moving nature of it, but that also speaks to why it's desirable to do it within that [July 2027] time frame."

Minister for Artificial Intelligence Chris Picton said the technology has brought "changes at a rapid pace" to workforce, schools and the broad community.