Government

Support public services with accountable AI.

Federal, state and local government handle some of the most sensitive information in the country, under some of the strictest rules. AI can reduce backlogs and improve services, provided accountability and transparency are designed in from the start.

Opportunities

Correspondence and case work

Draft responses, summarise case files and find relevant precedents.

Policy research

Search legislation, submissions and internal knowledge with citations.

Council services

Plain English answers about services, permits and local rules, grounded in published information.

What to get right

Policy for the responsible use of AI in government

Commonwealth agencies covered by the Digital Transformation Agency's policy need accountable officials and public AI transparency statements. State governments have their own frameworks.

PSPF and the ISM

The Protective Security Policy Framework and ASD's Information Security Manual apply to AI systems like any other. PSPF directions have restricted specific AI products on government systems.

Administrative law

Decisions about people must be lawful, explainable and reviewable. Automated decision making needs clear legal authority and human oversight.

This is general information, not legal advice. See our Australian AI compliance guide for the wider landscape and links to official sources.

Where to run it

Sovereignty requirements often point to Australian hosting or on premises deployment. Open weight models let agencies run AI inside certified environments without sending data to an overseas service.

First steps

  1. Nominate an accountable official and publish a transparency statement if your agency is covered.
  2. Register each AI use case and assess its risk before deployment.
  3. Start with internal, low risk uses such as search and drafting.

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