Lunch and Learn - When AI isn’t the whole answer: lessons from a Style Manual tool
This presentation* will share the story of Proof Positive, a toolkit that checks documents against a codified set of rules from the Australian Government Style Manual. It will explain why the toolkit relies on fixed rules for most checks and uses AI only where it adds value. It will also share practical lessons from building, testing and improving a tool in the APS, including a live demonstration of Proof Positive.
*Please note this event will be recorded. You can view this video and other MasterCraft Series events here.
Presenter
Jen Robertson, Authoring Support Manager, Communications and Engagement Unit, Australian Institute of Health and Welfare
Jen joined the AIHW in August 2025. She helps staff write clearly and consistently in line with the Australian Government Style Manual. Her work covers writing standards, editorial guidance, referencing and web content improvement. More and more, it involves designing tools that make Australian style easier to apply.
In July 2026, she built Proof Positive, a 5-tool Style Manual toolkit, for the APS Innovation Month ‘Build a Bureaucrat Bot’ challenge. Proof Positive checks documents against Style Manual rules using deterministic, auditable logic, and uses generative AI only in tightly limited roles. She took this approach after testing showed that general-purpose AI tools couldn’t reliably apply Australian Government style.
Before joining AIHW, Jen held web content roles at the Department of Health, Disability and Ageing. These included content strategist for health.gov.au and acting director of the Therapeutic Goods Administration web team. She has also worked as a medical writer in Singapore and Hong Kong. She started her career as a speech pathologist and has worked in clear communication ever since.
John Tooth, Department of Finance
John Tooth is the Product Manager for the GovAI Exchange and Cloud Services, products designed to support equitable access to AI resources for the Australian Public Service. John's role spans the full product lifecycle, from Proof of Concept and ideation, through too retirement. Before government, John was a start-up CEO, where he led the turnaround of a global SaaS analytics platform and helped enterprise clients across the APAC region transform how they deliver products. His broader history includes aligning product development to enterprise Initial Public Offering (IPO) targets and resolving post-acquisition product disparity.
Participant benefits
- Practical insights into when to use generative AI, and when fixed rules give more reliable results.
- Lessons from building, testing and trying to deploy an AI tool in the APS.
- Access to and understanding of Proof Positive, a free toolkit for checking writing against the Style Manual.
Suitable for
All staff
Category and User level
This learning experience aligns with the Working in Government Craft at the Foundation level.
Price
Free of charge.
Face-to-screen considerations
- Prior to the session start date, it is suggested that you check if your agency’s network has any restrictions using any virtual classroom platform. If you are unable to access the virtual classroom platform on your work device or network, you will need to use a personal device.
- Please ensure you have access to a working camera and microphone to participate.
Attendance (Virtual)
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* Capacity limits may apply. Please log into APSLearn to check availability.
- If the session is full or none of the additional sessions are suitable, you can express your interest, through APSLearn, for this event. You will be added to a mailing list to be notified when a new session becomes available.