Opportunity, risk: state unveils landmark AI inquiry
Ethan James |
A nation-leading royal commission into artificial intelligence and policies around the technology has been launched by a state government.
South Australia Premier Peter Malinauskas made the announcement on Monday after a recent visit to the United States and meetings with AI companies.
“It is absolutely clear that the use of artificial intelligence is an exciting opportunity to advance the cause of humanity,” he said.
“But it is also true that unchecked artificial intelligence does represent a material risk to the way our society operates and a risk to the future of work if not thought through carefully.”
Australia was at a “fork in the road” when it came to deciding how AI would operate in the country, he said.
The royal commission is expected to start in October and prepare a final report by July 1, 2027.
It will focus on the economic and social opportunities the technology provided for SA.
It is also due to interrogate policy and regulatory settings at a state level, as well as how to manage AI nationally.
In addition, it will examine impacts and opportunities for the use of AI in the health and education sectors and the technology’s relationship with water and energy usage.
The royal commission was nation-leading, Mr Malinauskas said, adding he wanted SA to set guardrails to ensure the technology was used in a way that put people first.
While touring the US, Mr Malinauskas visited OpenAI’s headquarters in San Francisco, where he signed a memorandum of understanding with its co-founder and president Greg Brockman.
AAP