Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development, Communications, Sport and the Arts

Our Commitment to AI Transparency

The Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development, Communications, Sport and the Arts (the department) is committed to the safe, responsible, and transparent use of artificial intelligence (AI). We adopt AI to enhance the efficiency, effectiveness and quality of our operations, always ensuring compliance with legislative and regulatory obligations, including the Policy for the Responsible Use of AI in Government. (Template language)

Our approach is regularly reviewed through governance and risk management processes, and we foster a culture that balances risk and innovation.

Our staff use AI to increase their productivity in line with**** the**** usage patterns and domains as outlined by the Digital Transformation Agency’s (DTA) Classification system for AI use.

AI is approved for use within the department in the following Domains:

• Service Delivery: For enhancing the efficiency and accuracy of our services (note: our department does not use AI to deliver services directly to the public).
• Compliance and Fraud Detection: For detecting patterns or anomalies to ensure compliance with laws and regulations.
• Policy and Legal: For analysing policies and documents to support policy development.
• Scientific: For**** processing and interpreting data and information to support research.
• Corporate and Enabling: For supporting corporate and enabling functions across our human resource, finance, communications and information technology areas.

AI is approved for the following Usage Patterns:

• Workplace Productivity : primarily across the Corporate and enabling, Service delivery and Compliance and fraud detection domains.
• Analytics for Insights : primarily across the Policy and legal and Scientific domains.

Examples of AI use include:

• analysing, simplifying and summarising documents, emails or other content
• creating accessible versions of documents
• drafting operational documents, such as project plans and operating procedures.
• assisting with policy research and analysis.
• preparing meeting minutes and transcribe interviews.
• searching and retrieving documents, data and information from repositories.
• analysing events or problems to identify root causes, trends and actionable improvements.
• producing content for internal reports and communications.

Public Interaction and Human Review

AI is not used by our department to deliver services directly to the public, and members of the public do not interact with AI systems. All outputs produced by AI are reviewed by staff before any decision is made, ensuring accuracy, fairness, and ethical standards. No decisions or administrative actions are made solely by AI.

We monitor the effectiveness of deployed AI systems and have measures in place to protect against negative impacts. Our systems operate in a secure and controlled environment, and sensitive or classified information is never transmitted outside the department’s network.

Oversight of AI governance is provided by a senior accountable official, supported by an internal committee of senior representatives. This committee guides the implementation of AI governance measures, ensuring safe, ethical and effective use. We take a risk-based approach, continually monitoring and evaluating AI risks within our governance frameworks. (Template language)

Staff Training and Guidance

All staff must complete AI training before accessing any AI system. Training covers Australia’s AI Ethics Principles, bias recognition and mitigation, fairness, privacy obligations and secure handling of personal and sensitive information. Policies and guidance are regularly reviewed and communicated, and information about approved AI tools is available via an internal register.

The department maintains an internal register of approved AI tools. Currently, approved tools include Microsoft Copilot for 365 (integrated with Word, Excel, Outlook, PowerPoint, Teams, SharePoint and OneDrive) and Copilot for Web. These tools are selected for their security, compliance and ability to enhance productivity while protecting departmental data. Staff can access guidance and the full list of approved tools via the department’s intranet.

We comply with the Policy for the Responsible Use of AI in Government and all applicable legislation and regulations. Our adherence is regularly reviewed and updated as required. (Template language)

Statement Review and Updates2Also appears in 2 other agenciesAPRAARPC

This Transparency Statement is reviewed and updated at least annually, whenever significant changes are made to our approach to AI, or when new factors materially impact its accuracy.

This statement was last updated February 2026.1Also appears in 1 other agencyACQSC

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