Assistant Minister for the Public Service Patrick Gorman says public servants must all use AI and be accountable for what it produces. Photo: IPAA. Artificial intelligence is no longer theoretical, every public servant must learn to use it, and each one will be held accountable for what they produce with it. That’s the clear message for the federal bureaucracy, delivered by Assistant Minister for the Public Service Patrick Gorman during an online AI summit hosted by the Institute of Public Administration Australia (ACT). While the forum’s theme was building trust in a digital future and the new technology, the Assistant Minister bluntly let the Australian Public Service workforce know that trust was their responsibility. AI might be mandatory, but it is not a scapegoat for public servants to hide behind. “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’,” Mr Gorman said. “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.” The Assistant Minister said Australians have clear and reasonable expectations that services should be easy to access, decisions should be fair, and someone must be accountable. “Let me put that another way – the buck does not stop with AI. The buck stops with each of us,” he said. READ ALSO Mixed results show unemployment rate is up, but more people are in jobs Last year, the Federal Government launched the APS AI Plan, delivering a path for the next wave of digital transformation in the APS. The plan is built around three core pillars of Trust, People and Tools, and provides steps for accelerating the safe and responsible use of AI adoption across the entire public service. It sets clear expectations for every agency, including leadership accountability, mandatory staff capability development, and transparent reporting on outcomes. GovAI Chat will begin APS trials from next month, expanding the GovAI platform to provide all APS staff with secure, sovereign AI tools. GovAI Chat is a generative AI tool developed specifically for the APS, designed to enable it to build digital capability, drive innovation, and maintain public trust in the responsible use of AI. “You have heard about AI systems, governance frameworks and digital stewardship,” Mr Gorman told this week’s summit. “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.” Mr Gorman said that while AI will have to work harder to earn our trust, in the public service, trust is the licence to operate. Choices made now will either strengthen or weaken that licence. And he stressed that the world of generative AI is not a place where APS Values do not apply. “I could not be clearer. Every APS value applies with every use of AI,” he said. “Impartial, Committed to Service, Accountable, Respectful, Ethical, and Stewardship … “Safe and responsible AI depends on people.” READ ALSO Appeal of Queensland Government's apprentice subsidy scheme is building The adoption of AI has been uneven across the government, with some agencies being advanced in embracing the technology while others have taken a more cautious approach. But every public servant should now have access to generative AI tools, and they must learn how to use them. “AI is no longer optional, trust has never been optional, and our APS values are mandatory,” Mr Gorman said. In a completely separate forum, Treasurer Jim Chalmers touched on AI while delivering a pre-budget address to the Australian Business Economists in Melbourne on Thursday (19 March). He spoke of the opportunities AI presents for the whole economy and the need for Australia to invest in AI tools. But he added that the private sector, rather than the public sector, will drive that investment. While the Treasurer said the technological evolution of AI is a major focus for the government, government investment in AI will be shadowed by what the private sector does. “We are getting so much interest in the private sector, for investment in AI infrastructure,” Dr Chalmers said. “Our role in AI is really to make sure we are capturing the opportunities, protecting people, working through often difficult issues in areas like copyright and the like. “There is a lot of investment flowing and we see that overwhelmingly as a good thing.” Original Article published by Chris Johnson on Region Canberra. Make us preferred on Google Subscribe to PS NewsSign up now for all your free Public Sector and Defence news, delivered direct to your inbox.APSACTNSWVICQLDSAWATASNTBy submitting your email address you are agreeing to Region Group's terms and conditions and privacy policy.