Australia initiates AI inquiries into legal and societal impacts

Australia is seeing increased institutional focus on the legal and societal implications of artificial intelligence. In South Australia, the government has launched a nation-first royal commission to investigate the economic and societal impacts of the AI boom. Led by former Federal Court judge Iain Ross, alongside commissioners Kate Pounder and Professor Christopher Manning, the inquiry will examine how to harness AI for productivity and economic growth while safeguarding against risks to the labor market, education, and social stability.

In Queensland, Fleur Kingham, Chair of the Queensland Law Reform Commission, is set to address the challenges AI poses to evidence law. During a memorial lecture at Griffith University, Kingham will discuss how deepfake images compromise the ability to trust visual evidence and whether current legal frameworks are sufficient to maintain the integrity of the justice system in an era of easy digital manipulation.