AI Search - Frequently asked questions

AI Search uses a large language model (LLM) to generate a response based on content indexed from digital.gov.au. It reads relevant pages from the site and synthesises an answer to your question, with links to the source pages it drew from.

You can ask about policies, standards, frameworks, guidance, and other content published on digital.gov.au. For example:

• "What is the Digital Service Standard?"
• "What is the Investment Oversight Framework?"
• "How do I apply the accessibility standard to my service?"

For broad or exploratory questions, AI Search often returns more useful results than a keyword search. For known documents or exact titles, the keyword search may be faster. The index is typically updated within 24–48 hours of new content being published or updated on digital.gov.au.

AI Search currently indexes content from digital.gov.au. Coverage will expand to architecture.digital.gov.au, dataanddigital.gov.au, and buyict.gov.au in future releases. Responses include links to the originating pages so you can see where the information came from.

AI Search only provides access to information published on digital.gov.au. It cannot access personal information, process requests, or make decisions on your behalf. It is a tool for finding published government content, nothing more.

Some pages may not yet be indexed, may have been recently updated, or may not contain enough detail for the model to generate a confident response. If you cannot find what you need, try rephrasing your query, explore related search suggestions, use the keyword search, or browse the site directly.

"Hallucination" is a technical term for when an AI generates information that does not exist in its source material. Because AI Search works by finding and presenting content already published on digital.gov.au, it is not inventing information from scratch. However, it can still make errors in how it interprets, combines, or presents that information.

AI Search draws only from content that is regularly reviewed for accuracy, but policies and guidance can change. Always follow the source links to confirm important information against the original published content, particularly for compliance or policy decisions, technical specifications, or procurement and legal matters. If you notice an incorrect or misleading response, use the feedback option on the response or contact us at digitalchannels@dta.gov.au.

Do not enter personal, sensitive, or confidential information into the search field. This includes names, contact details, government identifiers, or any information that could identify an individual. The search field is for questions about published site content only.

Your search queries are not used to train AI systems. To generate your results, your query is transmitted to Google's search infrastructure and is not retained by Google beyond processing your request. Anonymous usage statistics may be collected to help us understand how the search is being used and improve the experience for everyone. This information is retained for 90 days and cannot be linked back to you personally.

Search queries are not attributed to individual users. Anonymised query logs may be accessible to DTA staff for the purposes of monitoring performance and improving the service. We do not share your search queries with third parties for marketing or commercial purposes.