Policy for the responsible use of AI in government

The Policy for the responsible use of AI in government (v2.0) sets requirements for the use and governance of AI and applies to all non-corporate Commonwealth entities (with some exceptions for defence and intelligence). 

It aims to embrace the opportunity presented by AI, strengthen public trust in government’s use of AI, and adapt to change as the technological and policy environment develops. 

December 2025 (v2.0) update – key requirements 

• AI Transparency statements: public-facing document that describes an agency’s approach to AI adoption and use. The statement must be reviewed and updated annually or sooner, should the agency make significant changes to its approach to AI. 
• Strategic position on AI adoption: Agencies must develop a strategic position on AI adoption, and this must be communicated to give staff clear direction on AI adoption.  
• Accountable Officials (AOs): Senior officials who are responsible for the implementation of the Policy in their agency. The DTA must be notified when designating or making any changes to their accountable official(s). 
• Accountable use case owner: each in-scope AI use case must have a designated use case owner. AO’s are to maintain a register of accountable use case owners. 
• Internal use case register: Agencies must create a register of in-scope use cases to enable AO’s to record accountable use case owners. This register must be shared with the DTA every 6 months from date of creation. 
• Operational requirements: sets requirements for governance mechanisms, mandatory training on AI, safety reporting and incident management. 
• AI use case assessment: all AI use cases must be assessed to determine their indicative risk – higher risk use cases are subject to an AI impact assessment to identify and manage impacts and risks. The assessment must be documented and take place during the design phase while developing requirements. 
• High risk reporting: high-risk AI use cases must be reported to the DTA and are subject to review requirements. 

Suitable for 

All levels

Craft and User Level 

This aligns with the Working in Government Craft at the Foundation level.