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South Australian Premier Peter Malinauskas Announces a Royal Commission into Artificial Intelligence Risks and Regulation

Australian Financial Review

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Date Published
10 Aug 2026
Priority Score
5
Australian
Yes
Created
10 Aug 2026, 08:02 am

Authors (2)

Description

South Australian Premier Peter Malinauskas warned against the potential catastrophic societal costs of AI as he announced an inquiry into the technology.

Summary

Premier Peter Malinauskas has initiated a Royal Commission to investigate the risks posed by 'rogue' AI, explicitly citing the potential for catastrophic societal costs if the technology is not properly regulated. This inquiry seeks to bridge the gap between AI-driven productivity gains, such as those explored in the state's recent MOU with OpenAI, and the urgent need for safety guardrails. The Commission aims to engage leading frontier AI labs like OpenAI and Anthropic to inform its findings. This represents a significant Australian policy escalation, marking one of the first high-level judicial inquiries in the world specifically targeting the high-end risks and governance frameworks of advanced AI systems.

Body

TechnologyAIPrint articleSimon Evans and Paul SmithAug 10, 2026 – 5.27pmSouth Australian Premier Peter Malinauskas has announced a royal commission into artificial intelligence, warning that rogue AI without sufficient guardrails could inflict catastrophic societal costs.Malinauskas, who just returned from a trip to the United States where he signed a memorandum of understanding with OpenAI to explore ways of improving productivity in the state public service, said he wanted big American companies like OpenAI and Anthropic to be part of the royal commission.Loading...SaveLog in or Subscribe to save articleShareCopy linkCopiedEmailLinkedInTwitterFacebookCopy linkCopiedShare via...Gift this articleSubscribe to gift this articleGift 5 articles to anyone you choose each month when you subscribe.Subscribe nowAlready a subscriber? LoginLicense articleRead MoreAIOpenAIPeter MalinauskasSouth AustraliaUSAAnthropicAnthony AlbaneseAdelaideFetching latest articles