Policy for the responsible use of AI in government
Need to know
This version of the policy (v2.0) is effective 15 December 2025. The first version (v1.1) took effect on 1 September 2024.
It applies to all non-corporate Commonwealth entities, with some exceptions.
Departments and agencies must meet the mandatory requirements for:
- accountable official(s)
- transparency statements
- developing a strategic approach to AI adoption
- operationalising the responsible use of AI
- AI use case accountability
- internal use case registers
- staff training on AI
- AI use case impact assessment
Explore the policy
Explore the principles and requirements of the policy.
Policy introduction
The increasing adoption of artificial intelligence (AI) is reshaping the economy, society and government. Government agencies are embracing the AI opportunity to boost efficiency, enable better data analysis and evidence-based decisions, and improve service delivery for people and business.
The Australian Government is committed to capturing the opportunities of AI in a way that facilitates innovation while mitigating harms. Government has an elevated responsibility to adopt AI safely and should be held to a high ethical standard of use.
The December 2025 update to the policy strengthens government's approach to safe and responsible AI through new measures on AI governance. It introduces requirements for agencies to develop a strategic approach to adopting AI, establish an approach to operationalise the responsible use of AI, ensure designated accountability for AI use cases, and undertake risk-based use case-level actions.
In recognition of the speed and scale of change in this area, the policy will evolve over time as the technology changes, leading practices emerge, the broader regulatory environment develops, and government's AI maturity improves.
Policy overview
This policy provides a framework to enable the accelerated and sustainable adoption of AI by agencies. It allows them to embrace AI while continuing to position government as an exemplar in responsible AI use, in line with the Australian community's expectations.
The policy aims to create a coordinated approach to government's use of AI and has been designed to complement and strengthen – not duplicate – existing frameworks in use by the APS.
The policy outlines principles and requirements under the following sections: strategy and oversight, preparedness and operations, and AI use case impact assessment.
Each section of the policy is underpinned by principles and outlines the mandatory requirements agencies must follow. Recommended actions and considerations are also included where relevant.