A former federal court judge will lead a nation-first royal commission that aims to maximise the benefits and minimise negative consequences of the artificial intelligence boom.
The South Australian government revealed the inquiry’s terms of reference on Thursday and announced that economist and former Federal Court judge Iain Ross would lead the investigation.
Dr Ross will be the chair while Kate Pounder and Professor Christopher Manning have been selected as commissioners due to their expertise in technology policy, innovation, computer science and machine learning.
Premier Peter Malinauskas said AI was moving at a rapid pace, reshaping the world we live in.
”The AI boom presents significant risks but also opportunities,” he said.
”I want people’s interests put first and our state to be a leader in the policy responding to this technology.”
The commission will be an evidence-based inquiry into the economic and societal opportunities and implications of AI for SA, including how the state can harness the technology safely, responsibly and for public benefit.
It will examine the opportunities, barriers and policy settings for AI to improve productivity, innovation and economic growth.
It aims to enable SA’s industry to be nationally and globally competitive and will study how the technology can be transformative to the SA economy, the terms of reference state.
It will also examine how SA can leverage the social benefits of AI while safeguarding people and society from risks and challenges.
Policy, legislative and regulatory frameworks will be identified to encourage the safe and responsible development, deployment, adoption and use of AI across industry, government, research and the community.
Labour market and workplace practices including the mitigation of impacts on employment will be examined, as will the education system’s use of AI.
The commissioners will make recommendations about policy, legislative or structural reforms, with regard taken to the need for practical actions in the short to medium term, the terms state.
The commissioners will be required to consider the importance of technological innovation remaining human-centric, and current and potential impacts and opportunities of AI on systemic trust, civics and the democratic process.
The premier said Dr Ross brought a wealth of experience, particularly in the areas of labour markets and economics.
”He will lead the commission as it examines how AI can be developed and adopted across our economy, workforce and public services,” he said.
Ms Pounder was inaugural chief executive of the Tech Council of Australia, the peak body representing the national tech and innovation sector, and has worked with OpenAI.
Prof Manning is the lead AI researcher at Stanford University.
He is a world-renowned AI expert who has worked between Australia and the United States for more than 30 years.
Prof Manning is the co-founder of Stanford’s Institute for Human-Centred Artificial Intelligence and is currently a professor in machine learning at the private research university.
The commission will coordinate public submissions, community forums, surveys, industry roundtables and targeted stakeholder consultations.
It is expected to hand its final report to the government in mid-2027.
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