Artificial intelligence has officially entered its main character era. It’s booking our holidays, curating our playlists, filtering our photos and answering our late-night questions — and now, it’s playing a bigger role than ever in how government services are delivered. But as AI becomes part of everyday life, one question looms large: how do we embrace innovation without compromising trust, safety and fairness?
This week, the NSW Government offered its answer, launching a newly modernised NSW Artificial Intelligence Assessment Framework designed to keep people — not algorithms — at the centre of progress. Developed by the NSW Office for AI, the new framework aims to make sure that innovation and responsibility go hand in hand.
At its core, the framework is about clarity. Government agencies now have a clearer roadmap for identifying, managing and mitigating potential risks, ensuring AI systems are safe, inclusive, transparent and aligned with community expectations. It replaces long, subjective assessments with a smarter, standards-aligned approach that automatically determines the right level of oversight and expert review.
Translation? What once took days can now take less than 30 minutes.
Low-risk systems move quickly through the process, while the framework automatically flags higher-risk or more complex applications for deeper review. This approach identifies risks early, builds safeguards in from the start, and keeps public trust front and centre.
A great example is the public-facing AI chatbots increasingly used to help people apply for government services. While undeniably convenient, these systems can collect sensitive personal information and influence the advice people receive. Under the new framework, such tools are automatically classified as high-risk, triggering mandatory safeguards including Privacy Impact Assessments, cybersecurity checks, legal reviews and accessibility requirements — along with independent oversight from the AI Review Committee. It’s a proactive approach that prioritises people over pure efficiency.
Ethical principles are embedded directly into the framework’s logic, prompting agencies to consider issues like bias testing, accessibility checks and human rights screening before systems go live. In short, the goal is not just smarter tech — but fairer tech.
Minister for Customer Service and Digital Government Jihad Dib says the framework reflects the government’s commitment to balancing innovation with responsibility. “AI can transform government services, but we have a responsibility to use it safely,” he explains. “This framework ensures agencies identify risks early and apply the right safeguards.” As AI becomes more embedded into everyday government operations, he adds, having clear guidelines is essential to ensure its use remains transparent, inclusive and fair.
The framework also aligns NSW with national and international standards, including the Commonwealth National Framework for the Assurance of AI in Government and the European Union’s AI Act — positioning the state as a global leader in responsible AI governance.
Behind the scenes, the NSW Office for AI partnered with CSIRO’s Data61 to redesign the framework, drawing on extensive testing and process engineering to create a system that feels genuinely user-friendly for public servants. Head of the Office for AI Daniel Roelink says the goal was to strike a careful balance between risk and innovation. “AI is rapidly transforming how NSW Government agencies work and deliver services, improving productivity and supporting economic growth while putting people first,” he says. “The redesigned framework is simpler and more accessible for all public servants, while keeping strong assurance and community trust at its core.”
This announcement also builds on another Australian first: NSW’s launch of an Agentic AI guide in October 2025. Unlike traditional automation, agentic AI can plan actions and make decisions, raising even more complex ethical and governance questions. The guide outlines when human intervention is required, how outputs should be reviewed, and what privacy and security controls must be in place — ensuring innovation doesn’t race ahead of accountability.
As AI continues to weave itself into the fabric of public life, frameworks like this play a critical role in shaping a future that feels both exciting and secure. It’s a reminder that progress doesn’t have to be reckless — and that with the right guardrails, technology can genuinely work in service of the community.
As the use of AI continues to move at algorithmic speed, NSW’s refreshed framework proves that thoughtful regulation doesn’t slow innovation — it strengthens it. By building ethics, transparency and accountability into the foundations of AI adoption, the state is setting a new benchmark for how technology can genuinely serve the public good. Because the smartest systems aren’t just fast or efficient — they’re fair, inclusive and designed with humans firmly in mind.
