Lead agency: DTA
AI in government policy and guidance updates
Providing clarity, enhance accountability and risk management
The surface of a piece of ornament
Secondly, that general idea, now to be discussed, which we commonly have of form altogether, as arising chiefly from a fitness to some designed purpose or use.
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Schedule regular assessments
Undertake assessments: Define the goals and scope of your assessment then observe performance and experience over time. Performance metrics might include load times, responsiveness or bottlenecks. Experience metrics might include entry/exit points, dwell time or task abandonment. Ongoing monitoring should be part of your business-as-usual and a detailed review part of your regular service evaluation.
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The figure like a leaf
Hitherto our main drift hath been to establish and illustrate the first idea only, by shewing, first the nature of variety, and then its effects on the mind; with the manner how such impressions are made by means of the different feelings given to the eye, from its movements in tracing and coursing I over surfaces of all kinds.
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Beautiful in the lines of its shell-like windings
As would have been above the power of a Gibbons to have equalled, even in its own materials; nor could the graver of an Edlinck, or Drevet, have done it justice on copper.
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the present taste of ornaments
seems to have been partly taken from productions of this sort, which are to be found about autumn among plants, particularly asparagus, when it is running to seed.
OffAI in government policy and guidance updates
Providing clarity, enhance accountability and risk management
Lead agency: DTA
The government will update the Policy for responsible use of AI in government (the AI in government policy) to strengthen public trust in government by providing clarity, enhancing accountability, and ensuring effective risk identification and management in the use of AI. The AI in government policy took effect on 1 September 2024. It laid the foundation by introducing accountability measures, transparency requirements, and guidance for foundational training. As AI adoption across the APS accelerates and the technology landscape evolves, the DTA is updating this policy to include a broader set of AI governance practices that will support agencies to confidently adopt AI while building public trust.
The new requirements include requiring agencies to develop a strategic position on AI adoption and to communicate this position to staff. This will support agencies to better engage with and realise the benefits of AI. Accountability requirements will be strengthened so that each in-scope use case has a clearly assigned accountable officer and is recorded in an internal register. This strengthens and builds on the important role of the AI Accountable Official, a role mandated under the existing policy to ensure the requirements of the policy are met.
The update also builds trust in government use of AI through mandating the AI impact assessment tool for in-scope use cases, which targets governance and risk management actions towards higher-risk use cases.
Adopting Artificial Intelligence (AI) to deliver for Australians
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.
Adopting Artificial Intelligence (AI) to deliver for Australians
Tools: Access, infrastructure and support
APS officials need to be empowered with the right AI tools to do their jobs safely and effectively. This means providing access to public web-based AI for low-risk activities, and to secure AI tools for more sensitive activities.
The initiatives under this pillar ensure that all public servants can access the tools they need through a three-tier approach:
- Universal availability of generative AI through GovAI and GovAI Chat, providing a safe and secure baseline chat interface to all APS officers.
- Public and enterprise AI services, enabling the use of public AI tools for public and OFFICIAL level information where it meets agency needs.
- Custom AI solutions, tailored for specific workflows or specialised use cases.
The Tools pillar provides the technical foundation for APS AI adoption, enabling agency innovation and empowering individual staff, while meeting people’s expectations within trusted governance settings. This plan notes that many specialised AI uses are usually best developed at an agency-level and does not intend to impede such adoption.
Adopting Artificial Intelligence (AI) to deliver for Australians
Foreword
Australians deserve to benefit from the possibilities that new technologies bring. Generative artificial intelligence (AI) provides us with the means to improve public services, make it easier for people and businesses to interact with government, and to help manage employee workloads.
This plan ensures that every public servant will have training and access to generative AI tools. The plan sets a proactive stance to increase AI adoption. It ensures the Australian Government keeps pace with community expectations as well as international peers.
Keeping trust with the Australian people will be critical to successful adoption of this new technology. The plan affirms the clear policies and guidance that exist for public servants, ensuring that AI will be used safely and responsibly, and is accompanied by a public Statement of Intent setting out how the Albanese Government expects AI to be used – and not used – by the public service.
This plan sets out our commitment to engage openly and constructively to ensure the introduction of AI across the APS is transparent, inclusive, and well-managed. This will be backed by comprehensive workforce planning, identification of how jobs may change, the new skills and training required, and managing change with our employees and their unions.
By strengthening existing consultation frameworks, we will provide meaningful avenues for input so staff are engaged and supported through ongoing change as we together build a more capable and future-ready public service.
This plan lays the foundations for seizing new opportunities while ensuring flexibility to adapt as AI evolves. Together, we can build a modern, responsive public service that captures the opportunity of AI, spreads the benefits widely and keeps Australians safe.
Communicate service upgrades
Communicate the change: Develop a communication plan for how, when and through which channels to share updates and findings with your users. When writing your content, show how your users’ feedback informed the actions you have taken. Highlight key achievements or milestones reached and use real-life stories to demonstrate how users shaped change.
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