Automation and Artificial Intelligence Strategy 2025-27
This strategy outlines Services Australia's approach to responsibly integrating automation and artificial intelligence from 2025 to 2027 to improve government service delivery. It sets out six core priorities focusing on building trust, human-led initiatives, governance frameworks, contemporary legislation, workforce capability, and modular systems. The document commits the agency to human-centred design, transparency, and alignment with whole-of-government frameworks such as Australia's AI Ethics Principles.
Summary and content fields are drawn from the document text and are pending editorial review.
Who issued it
Who it governs
This document is for Services Australia staff, government stakeholders, strategic partners, and citizens seeking to understand how the agency safely integrates automation and AI into public services.
What the document contains
The document covers Services Australia's strategic roadmap for deploying automation, optical character recognition, conversational assistants, and artificial intelligence models across social security, child support, and health service delivery. It addresses risk management, governance structures, workforce reskilling, data management, and strategic partnerships.
It does not provide binding legal regulations for external entities, technical source code, or specific penalty enforcement mechanisms for compliance violations outside of agency administrative procedures.
- Services Australia aims to use automation and AI to make government services simple and fast while balancing safety and security.
- The strategy is built around six priorities: building trust, human-led initiatives, governance frameworks, simplified policy and legislation, workforce uplift, and modular systems.
- All automation and AI deployments must be human-centred, safe, ethical, transparent, fair, and legal.
- The agency applies risk-based assurance processes, including human-in-the-loop oversight and transparency statements, aligned with whole-of-government policies.
- Workforce training and strategic partnerships with industry, academia, and unions are central to safely adopting these technologies.
· A message from the Chief Customer Officer · Introduction · Current State · Future State and how we will achieve it · Priority 1: Build trust with customers, staff and strategic partners · Priority 2: Human-led initiatives improving service delivery where it is beneficial for our customers and staff · Priority 3: Ensure consistency in governance, assurance and investment frameworks · Priority 4: Contemporary legislation and simplified policy · Priority 5: Uplift our workforce capability and capacity required to develop and manage automation and AI safely, ethically, and responsibly · Priority 6: Modular, connected and standardised systems to enable scalable initiatives to be delivered · Measuring success
How it scores
Each score is backed by a quote verified against the document text. Editorial review has not yet confirmed them.
Accountability
4/5Clear responsibility for AI outcomes
Additionally, the DTA Policy for the responsible use of AI in government recognises the need to identify an accountable official(s) in the agency. Accountable officers will: • be accountable for the implementation of the DTA policy
Priority 3: Ensure consistency in governance, assurance and investment frameworks
screening score · 2026-10-24
Fairness
4/5Non-discrimination and equitable treatment
achieve safer, more reliable and fairer outcomes for all Australians • reduce the risk of negative impact on those affected by AI applications
Priority 3: Ensure consistency in governance, assurance and investment frameworks
screening score · 2026-10-24
Human Dignity
2/5Respect for the inherent worth of persons
This guide emphasises that Australian Government agencies must ensure their automated systems comply with administrative law principles of legality, fairness, rationality and transparency, as well as privacy requirements and human rights obligations.
Priority 3: Ensure consistency in governance, assurance and investment frameworks
screening score · 2026-10-24
Privacy
4/5Protection of personal data and private life
In line with our agency data policies, some data, including personal, sensitive, protected and staff information, must be closely held and only shared when necessary, appropriate, and lawful.
Priority 1: Build trust with customers, staff and strategic partners
screening score · 2026-10-24
Enforcement
3/5Consequences and compliance mechanisms with real force
continuing to monitor and evaluate, and immediately pausing any systems if they stop meeting assurance and governance requirements
Current State
screening score · 2026-10-24
Impact Assessment
4/5Required assessment of an AI system's risks/impacts before or during use
Varying levels of risk, predictability, impact and scale means each solution must be assessed individually through assurance and governance processes
Current State
screening score · 2026-10-24