Strategy and oversight
The principles and requirements included in this section are designed to enable a forward-leaning approach to agency AI adoption. These requirements set out AI accountability at the agency level and use case level and seek to build trust through transparency.
Principles
- Adopt AI to enhance efficiency, decision-making, policy outcomes and government service delivery for the benefit of Australians.
- Have clear accountabilities for the adoption of AI and understand its use.
- Build public trust through transparency about government AI use.
Mandatory requirements
AI transparency statement
Agencies must make a publicly available statement outlining their approach to AI adoption and use, as prescribed under the Standard for transparency statements.
The statement must be reviewed and updated annually or sooner, should the agency make significant changes to its approach to AI.
Agencies must notify the DTA when they publish and make any changes to their AI transparency statement by emailing ai@dta.gov.au.
Strategic position on AI adoption
Agencies must develop a strategic position on AI adoption within 6 months of this policy taking effect. This position is to emphasise how AI opportunities can be identified and embraced by the agency.
Agencies must communicate their strategic position on AI to give staff clear direction on AI adoption. In line with their current and anticipated use of AI, agencies can develop a standalone AI strategy, augment an existing strategy or create other materials to communicate the approach to staff.
Accountable officials
Agencies must designate accountable official(s) to take accountability for implementing this policy.
Agencies must follow the Standard for accountability when designating accountable official(s) and implementing this requirement. The responsibilities of accountable officials are set in the standard.
Agencies must notify the DTA when they designate and make any changes to their accountable official(s) by emailing ai@dta.gov.au.
Accountable use case owners
Agencies must designate an accountable use case owner for each in-scope AI use case within 12 months of this policy taking effect. Accountable official(s) are to maintain a register of accountable use case owners.
Agencies must follow the Standard for accountability when implementing this requirement. The responsibilities of accountable use case owners are set in the standard.
Internal AI use case register
Agencies must create a register of in-scope AI use cases to enable accountable official(s) to record accountable use case owners within 12 months of this policy taking effect.
Agencies must share the register with the DTA every 6 months, commencing from when they create the register to meet the above requirement.
The Standard for accountability lists the minimum fields agencies must capture in the use case register. Agencies can add additional fields to meet their organisational needs. An existing register may be reused for the purposes of meeting this requirement. The standard also provides the instructions for how to share agency registers with the DTA.