The South Australian government has established a royal commission to investigate the impacts, opportunities, and risks of artificial intelligence [1, 2].

The move represents a significant state-level effort to regulate a rapidly evolving technology, though it has sparked debate over whether a formal inquiry is the most efficient way to gather technical intelligence.

Premier Peter Malinauskas said the commission will provide a structured understanding of how AI technologies will affect the region [2]. The government said the inquiry is necessary to navigate the complexities of the technology as it integrates into public and private sectors [2].

However, the decision has faced sharp criticism from media commentators who argue that the information required is already publicly available. News Corp National Education Editor Susie O'Brien said the move was nonsensical given the abundance of existing AI research [1].

O'Brien questioned the necessity of a formal process to achieve the government's goals. "There's so much information about AI … it's hard to understand why he would need an AI to call a roundtable and get it done," O'Brien said [1].

Financial concerns have also emerged regarding the scale of the inquiry. O'Brien estimated the cost of the royal commission at $250 million [1]. She said the expenditure was a way to slow down progress rather than accelerate it.

"It's like a $250 million way to slow something down," O'Brien said [1]. She said the Premier could have obtained the necessary insights without spending public funds, stating, "I'm pretty sure he could spend nothing and find what he needs for free" [1].

The commission is expected to examine how AI impacts labor markets and government services in Adelaide and throughout the state [2].

“"It's like a $250 million way to slow something down."”

This inquiry highlights the tension between traditional government oversight and the speed of technological advancement. While royal commissions provide a high level of legal and formal scrutiny, the criticism suggests that the slow pace of such inquiries may be incompatible with the exponential growth of AI, potentially resulting in outdated findings by the time the commission concludes.