People: Capability building and engagement
Public servants must be equipped with the right skills to use AI responsibly and effectively. This requires support at a whole-of-APS level, within and between organisations, and for individuals.
The initiatives under this pillar target sector-wide capability building, to support all APS staff to use this technology effectively, safely and appropriately – including building on the cybersecurity uplift of agencies’ IT systems.
Building trust will require clear and transparent engagement with staff and unions. Ongoing and genuine consultation grounded in existing obligations and mechanisms, such as APS Enterprise Agreements and the APS Consultative Committee, will be part of the rollout of AI technologies, ensuring transparency and fostering a sense of ownership and support for change among employees.
Foundational learning
Build capability, improve confidence, support experimentation
Lead agency: APSC
The government will build the foundational capability of public servants to use AI responsibly, ethically and effectively. The approach to building capability will be taken alongside addressing the role of leaders in shaping AI adoption.
A foundational AI literacy training offering will be mandated for all staff through the AI in Government Policy update. This will be supported by practical training such as the GovAI interactive learning, resources (website, newsletters), and live webinars with public servants experienced with use of AI. The aim is to provide all public servants with capability foundations together with flexible, just-in-time learning to keep pace with rapid AI technological change and be confident in using AI responsibly and effectively.
Supporting leaders to provide safe and responsible adoption environments for staff will also be a focus. Regular information on leading organisations in AI adoption, and dedicated masterclasses will be provided to support senior leaders in this task.
In addition, communities of practice and peer learning will be implemented over time to embed capability and drive sustainable adoption, including through the Chief AI Officers initiative.
Staff consultation and engagement
Embedding genuine staff and union engagement in AI-related APS changes
Lead agency: APSC
Meaningful consultation with staff and unions will be critical to building trust in AI adoption across the APS. It will ensure employees have a voice in how AI is introduced, how to get the benefits, what problems can be solved with AI and where it is likely to have a significant effect or material impact on them, including impacts related to gender, cultural identity, and First Nations peoples.
To support this, the APSC will issue a Circular setting out clear standards for consultation on AI-related workplace changes. These standards will align with existing obligations in APS Enterprise Agreements and specifically address the use of AI in the APS. The Circular will complement existing engagement frameworks across the APS, such as Agency Consultative Committees, which enable inclusive and representative input from employees and unions. These mechanisms support meaningful input from employees and unions, particularly ahead of major workplace changes. Genuine and effective consultation generally involves providing employees and their relevant union with a genuine opportunity to influence the decision prior to it being made.
AI delivery and enablement (AIDE)
Central team accelerating AI adoption
Lead agency: Finance
The Australian Government will establish a central function, AI delivery and enablement (AIDE), to take the lead in accelerating the uptake of safe and effective AI which will ensure timely adoption and more efficient government services. This multidisciplinary team will complement, but not replace, existing whole-of-government structures and processes with a dedicated focus on adoption through helping tackle common adoption barriers, navigating and reducing the complex compliance uncertainties raised by AI, and identifying and sharing lessons. Through their work, the team could help bring core work back into the public service.
Recognising that early adopters face challenges and delays, this team will help to expose and question existing assumptions and processes that might be inadvertently slowing adoption. It will explore the implications for public services raised by first-movers to inform future implementations. It will capture use-cases that can inform broader opportunities for whole-of-government adoption of AI and promote re-use of solutions. The team will leverage the enthusiasm and skills existing across the APS to help it understand emerging issues early on and to help pull together guidance on what works – and what does not. Noting the fast-moving nature of the technology, the team will take a flexible and iterative approach informed by learning from across the APS. For this reason, the team will also have responsibility for ensuring the effective implementation of this plan.
Chief AI Officers
Accelerating adoption, driving cultural change, connecting agencies
Lead agency: Finance
Agencies will appoint Chief AI Officers in recognition of the fundamental shift that generative AI is bringing to government operations. These senior leaders will accelerate consistent and collaborative AI capability development across the APS, identifying where AI can meaningfully improve Australians’ lives through faster service delivery, better-targeted policy interventions, and more efficient allocation of resources.
Chief AI Officers will drive adoption and advocate for strategic change within their agencies. Their responsibilities will include leading internal engagement, sharing guidance and use cases, providing contestable advice, and overseeing AI adoption, experimentation, and innovation. Chief AI Officers will have the mission and authority to effect change, and will focus on enabling strategic uptake and innovation.
Chief AI Officers are responsible for leading the required change in their agencies, while AI Accountable Officials are responsible for the governance required to comply with the AI in government policy. Agencies will have flexibility to determine who best in their structure meets the needs of the Chief AI Officer role. Some agencies, such as smaller organisations, may opt to have both the Chief AI Officer and Accountable Official roles fulfilled by the same leader. Chief AI Officers will be supported by early adopters and experts within their agencies who have hands-on experience applying AI in their work, whether for personal efficiency, specific job-related functions, or workflow integration. A peer working group will develop shared training materials for distribution via platforms such as GovAI, APS Professions and the APS Academy. This network will build on the existing AI Community of Practice, serving as a forum to provide feedback on common, reusable AI use cases, ways of working and strategies. Chief AI Officers will convert AI’s potential into demonstrable improvements in government performance, driving the capabilities and collaborative approaches needed to deliver for Australians.
Going forward: Continual learning and adapting
The plan provides a strong foundation for achieving broad AI literacy across the APS. Ongoing training will support staff in their continual and iterative learning journey as more is discovered about how best to use AI to get better outcomes, and what it means for how we work. Ongoing staff engagement and consultation will help agencies to adapt, manage change effectively, and consider the impacts on employees, particularly women and First Nations peoples.