You have heard about AI systems, governance frameworks and digital stewardship today.
Here is the bottom line.
Artificial intelligence is no longer theoretical.
Each of us must learn new AI skills.
No public servant can avoid the need to understand these technologies.
The opportunities to learn have never been greater.
It is, after all, a technology you can ask to train you.
I am pleased to report that Google’s Gemini will tell you to start with APS AI Ethics Principles.
Engage with the Digital Transformation Agency.
Look at offers from the APS Academy.
On this Gemini is correct.
But Gemini will also tell you dry your socks in the microwave.
It is fair to say, AI will have to work harder to earn our trust.
In the public service, trust is our licence to operate.
The choices we make now will either strengthen that licence or weaken it.
Trust starts at home
When I think about trust in government, I do not just think about it as a Minister.
I think of it as a citizen.
Like millions of Australians, my family relies on government services every day.
From registering the birth of my kids Leo and Ruby.
Keeping track of immunisations.
Navigating childcare and school.
Australians have clear and reasonable expectations.
First, services should be easy to access.
Decisions should be fair.
Someone must be accountable.
Let me put that another way.
The buck does not stop with AI.
The buck stops with each of us.
Those expectations do not go away as technology evolves.
They intensify.
We know this, because the government asks Australians about their trust in public services every year.
When trust goes up, they point to four things:
- Reduced wait times,
- Better digital services,
- Greater transparency, and
- Improved quality.
To paraphrase Daft Punk, technology should make government services – not Harder, but Better, Faster, Stronger.
Trust in Australian public services reached 62 per cent in 2024-25.
This is the highest level it has been since the COVID-19 pandemic.
Building a digital future people can trust is not just a technical challenge.
It is about leadership and culture.
Responsible AI enables innovation
A clear message from today is that responsible AI allows innovation to move forward with confidence.
That is why the DTA introduced the Policy for the Responsible Use of AI in Government.
It states our goal clearly:
“Embracing AI for the benefit of Australians while ensuring its safe, ethical and responsible use”
That overarching benefit for the Australian people should govern every decision the APS makes.
AI is no different.
Nor is the world of generative AI a place where APS Values do not apply.
I could not be clearer.
Every APS value applies with every use of AI.
Impartial, Committed to Service, Accountable, Respectful, Ethical, and Stewardship.
I want to focus for one moment on accountability.
“AI wrote it, not me” is the 21st century equivalent of “the dog ate my homework”.
You are personally accountable for your use of generative AI.
The outputs are your responsibility.
You are accountable for AI errors.
You are responsible if the work is below the standards normally delivered by your department.
This is important as we implement the National Framework for Assurance of AI in Government.
This is the foundation that has allowed us to move from isolated pilots to coordinated adoption across the APS.
Safe and responsible AI depends on people.
Over 150,000 public servants completed the 2025 APS Employee Census.
Though, I must say it disappoints me that 48,000 didn’t take the time.
In my view, this is inconsistent with APS value of stewardship.
I am determined to see higher response rates in this year’s Census.
Because, like you, I want us to go the extra mile.
91% of the Service said they are willing to do just that.
Go the extra mile.
This is one of the few times I will accept Americanised language in Australia’s public service.
The Census also shows that 88% of public servants strongly believe in their agency’s purpose.
83% see continuous improvement as part of their job.
81% say their agency supports people to act with integrity.
We can’t let AI erode these gains.
From experimentation to standards
Late last year, Minister Gallagher released the AI Plan for the APS.
A call to action for each of us.
You all know that AI adoption across government has been uneven.
Some agencies advanced.
Others stayed cautious.
That is why we are now taking service wide steps.
Every public servant should have access to generative AI tools.
GovAI Chat will provide a secure, government-hosted environment accessible from staff laptops.
The AI Use Case Library helps agencies see what is possible and how risks have been managed in practice.
And we are gaining new insights on our national story through Bowerbird AI.
Bowerbird transcribes the vast audiovisual content at the National Film and Sound Archive.
Every day it is uncovering hidden stories and making them easily accessible.
Real outcomes, real accountability
My great grandmother, Lucy, worked at the Australian Taxation Office in the years after the Second World War.
She was part of a generation that helped rebuild institutions and strengthen public administration during a pivotal moment in our history.
The tools were different then.
The responsibility was not.
In the 1940s AI stood for Airborne Interception.
Today, AI at the ATO helps Australians get their tax returns right the first time.
You log into myGov, start your return, and a real-time prompt flags a claim that looks unusually high.
You check, find a mistake, and fix it before you submit.
In 2023–24, more than 712,000 prompts like that were issued.
That is 712,000 opportunities to prevent incorrect returns and avoid over or underpayments.
That single measure helped protect around $92.6 million in tax revenue.
Taxpayers who received a prompt were two and a half times more likely to review their return, and three times more likely to correct it.
Throughout all of this, ATO officers remain accountable.
AI models are retrained and monitored.
That is what trusted AI looks like in the APS.
Leadership in the AI era
AI requires more leadership from our people, not less.
The APS AI Plan creates the role of Chief AI Officer.
Their job is to champion organisational change.
To rewire our collective mindset to grab the opportunities available.
The Australian Public Service Commission will soon issue a Circular establishing clear standards for consultation on AI-related workplace changes.
Staff and their representatives must be genuine partners in this transition.
Through strategic workforce planning, we will help agencies identify and close emerging skill gaps.
Building a trusted digital future
So let me sum this up.
AI is no longer optional.
Trust has never been optional.
And our APS values are mandatory.
Australia has the best public service in the world.
It is therefore essential for Australia to become a world leader in an AI-enhanced public service.
If we do this, we improve policy making.
We deliver for the Australian people.
And we have more taxpayer funds to spend on service delivery.
This is the kind of future AI can help us build.
A stronger, fairer Australia.
Thank you.