Department of Home Affairs

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AI Transparency Statement
February 2025

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OFFICIAL Page 1 of 3 AI Transparency Statement

Table of Contents Introduction ..................................................................................................................................................... 2 What is Artificial Intelligence? ................................................................................................................. 2 Accountable Officials .............................................................................................................................. 2 Domains of AI Usage.............................................................................................................................. 2 AI Governance ........................................................................................................................................ 3

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OFFICIAL Page 2 of 3 AI Transparency Statement
Introduction
The Digital Transformation Agency (DTA) Policy for the responsible use of AI in government (the policy) mandates all departments and agencies to designate accountable officials for the policy implementation, and to publish a statement outlining their approach to AI adoption and use (‘transparency statement’) .
The Department of Home Affairs (the department) is responsible for providing services, policy, and regulation across a range of domains including immigration and border protection, citizenship, cyber and national security. In delivering its role effectively and efficiently, the department incorporates the safe and responsible use of data and enabling technologies including various forms of Artificial Intelligence (AI).
What is Artificial Intelligence? Following the DTA, the department adopts the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) definition of an AI system:
‘An AI system is a machine-based system that, for explicit or implicit objectives, infers, from the input it receives, how to generate outputs such as predictions, content, recommendations, or decisions that can influence physical or virtual environments. Different AI systems vary in their levels of autonomy and adaptiveness after deployment.’
Accountable Officials
The Chief Data Officer (CDO) is the Accountable Official for AI under the policy and responsible for leading the department's data and AI program. This includes improving AI literacy, policy monitoring and improvement, robust and ethical AI design and management, and implementation of governance and assurance mechanisms for AI adoption in the secure and safe technology environments provided by Information Communication Technology (ICT). Domains of AI Usage The department embraces opportunities presented by emerging technologies by developing and adopting AI systems in support of decision-making, risk mitigation and management, and administrative actions in a safe and responsible manner. The department uses AI to boost productivity by optimising processes across various domains:
 Service Delivery: with a range of systems to improve efficiency of department’s service to clients such as automated registration of submissions and applications; or image processing systems to facilitate passenger movements.
 Law Enforcement, Intelligence and Security: the trained AI systems use advanced analytics for insights to inform a data-driven approach to risk identification, intelligence gathering and crime prevention.  Corporate and Enabling: the explorative use of AI systems to support administrative tasks and research leading to faster generation of products for internal use such as feedback analysis of large surveys to derive key learnings that enable organisational growth and transformation.  Compliance and Fraud Detection: AI systems are used to identify and share information with partners to supplement compliance activities, keeping the Australian community safe and ensuring the integrity of Australia's migration program. The department uses both internal and third party AI systems, with ongoing human monitoring and decision making to ensure AI use is safe, legal and ethical.

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AI Governance The department is committed to transparency and accountability in using AI, ensuring responsible implementation as the technology evolves. To ensure safety, security and ethical use of its AI systems, the department has implemented a number of controls for governing, monitoring and managing AI-related risks by:  aligning Home Affairs’ AI Ethics Policy with Australia’s AI Ethics Principles, and making the policy compliant with both international and Australian human rights legislation, such as Racial Discrimination Act 1975, Australian Human Right Commission Act 1986 and International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights  implementing processes and procedure, to enable continuous and transparent improvement of AI systems  embedding human monitoring, verification, and intervention on all AI system-generated outputs  monitoring and mitigating AI distinct and specific risks and potential harms to privacy, fairness, transparency and explainability as well as safety and security of its technology environments  delivering a comprehensive data and AI literacy program to its workforce.

OFFICIAL

OFFICIAL

AI Transparency Statement
February 2025

OFFICIAL

OFFICIAL Page 1 of 3 AI Transparency Statement

Table of Contents Introduction ..................................................................................................................................................... 2 What is Artificial Intelligence? ................................................................................................................. 2 Accountable Officials .............................................................................................................................. 2 Domains of AI Usage.............................................................................................................................. 2 AI Governance ........................................................................................................................................ 3

OFFICIAL

OFFICIAL Page 2 of 3 AI Transparency Statement
Introduction
The Digital Transformation Agency (DTA) Policy for the responsible use of AI in government (the policy) mandates all departments and agencies to designate accountable officials for the policy implementation, and to publish a statement outlining their approach to AI adoption and use (‘transparency statement’) .
The Department of Home Affairs (the department) is responsible for providing services, policy, and regulation across a range of domains including immigration and border protection, citizenship, cyber and national security. In delivering its role effectively and efficiently, the department incorporates the safe and responsible use of data and enabling technologies including various forms of Artificial Intelligence (AI).
What is Artificial Intelligence? Following the DTA, the department adopts the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) definition of an AI system:
‘An AI system is a machine-based system that, for explicit or implicit objectives, infers, from the input it receives, how to generate outputs such as predictions, content, recommendations, or decisions that can influence physical or virtual environments. Different AI systems vary in their levels of autonomy and adaptiveness after deployment.’
Accountable Officials
The Chief Data Officer (CDO) is the Accountable Official for AI under the policy and responsible for leading the department's data and AI program. This includes improving AI literacy, policy monitoring and improvement, robust and ethical AI design and management, and implementation of governance and assurance mechanisms for AI adoption in the secure and safe technology environments provided by Information Communication Technology (ICT). Domains of AI Usage The department embraces opportunities presented by emerging technologies by developing and adopting AI systems in support of decision-making, risk mitigation and management, and administrative actions in a safe and responsible manner. The department uses AI to boost productivity by optimising processes across various domains:
 Service Delivery: with a range of systems to improve efficiency of department’s service to clients such as automated registration of submissions and applications; or image processing systems to facilitate passenger movements.
 Law Enforcement, Intelligence and Security: the trained AI systems use advanced analytics for insights to inform a data-driven approach to risk identification, intelligence gathering and crime prevention.  Corporate and Enabling: the explorative use of AI systems to support administrative tasks and research leading to faster generation of products for internal use such as feedback analysis of large surveys to derive key learnings that enable organisational growth and transformation.  Compliance and Fraud Detection: AI systems are used to identify and share information with partners to supplement compliance activities, keeping the Australian community safe and ensuring the integrity of Australia's migration program. The department uses both internal and third party AI systems, with ongoing human monitoring and decision making to ensure AI use is safe, legal and ethical.

OFFICIAL

OFFICIAL Page 3 of 3 AI Transparency Statement
AI Governance The department is committed to transparency and accountability in using AI, ensuring responsible implementation as the technology evolves. To ensure safety, security and ethical use of its AI systems, the department has implemented a number of controls for governing, monitoring and managing AI-related risks by:  aligning Home Affairs’ AI Ethics Policy with Australia’s AI Ethics Principles, and making the policy compliant with both international and Australian human rights legislation, such as Racial Discrimination Act 1975, Australian Human Right Commission Act 1986 and International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights  implementing processes and procedure, to enable continuous and transparent improvement of AI systems  embedding human monitoring, verification, and intervention on all AI system-generated outputs  monitoring and mitigating AI distinct and specific risks and potential harms to privacy, fairness, transparency and explainability as well as safety and security of its technology environments  delivering a comprehensive data and AI literacy program to its workforce.