Building an APS that anticipates needs: Inside the government's genAI rollout
Australia is moving from talking about AI to putting it in the hands of every federal public servant. The APS AI Plan will deliver secure, sovereign, and responsible generative AI tools-built and governed in-house-to support real work across agencies. The goal: better services that anticipate needs, with human oversight at every step.
Senator Katy Gallagher put it plainly: "AI adoption across the APS is not about replacing people. It's about unlocking new capabilities while ensuring our people are focused on the work that requires human insight, empathy and judgment."
What the APS AI Plan delivers
The plan gives every APS employee access to secure genAI, comprehensive training, and clear guidance. New government Chief AI Officers will lead adoption, backed by an AI Review Committee to provide expert input on higher-risk use cases.
Core initiatives include the expansion of the GovAI platform and the creation of GovAI Chat-secure, in-house tools that leverage government data. An AI Delivery and Enablement (AIDE) team will coordinate adoption and fast-track priority use cases across agencies.
To avoid vendor lock-in and maintain flexibility, GovAI will be model-agnostic with a selection layer based on need. A use-case library will help teams learn what works and move faster with proven patterns.
Sovereignty, trust, and safety
Trust is the license to operate. The plan anchors AI use in strong governance, clear transparency, and constant human oversight. It also commits to genuine consultation with staff and unions, with the Australian Public Service Commission issuing guidance on standards for consultation on AI-related workplace changes.
Sovereignty is non-negotiable. Simon Kriss, CEO and co-founder of Sovereign Australia AI, underscored the point: Australia's government data must stay onshore, and each part of the AI chain-storage, inference, and more-needs to be Australian owned and controlled. Without that, public trust could be hard to rebuild if anything goes wrong.
Kriss also flagged cultural fit. AI used in government should reflect Australian vernacular, culture, and values. Otherwise, it risks feeling like a dubbed film-production-grade, but mismatched to the audience.
Why this matters to agencies and teams
This plan is built for practical outcomes: faster service delivery, reduced manual work, and better decision support. GenAI won't do the job for you; it will take care of the busywork so you can focus on judgment, policy, and people.
Expect more consistent guidance on safe use, stronger internal capability, and shared tools that work across agencies. Expect clarity on what you can use AI for, and a clear process for what needs review.
How the rollout will work
- GovAI and GovAI Chat: secure, in-house AI tools accessible from APS laptops.
- Model-agnostic platform: choose the right model for the task, avoid lock-in.
- Use-case library: proven patterns to help teams move with confidence.
- AIDE team: central coordination to accelerate adoption and scale what works.
- AI Review Committee: expert oversight for higher-risk applications.
- Consultation standards: APSC guidance to support staff and union engagement.
Practical steps for public servants
- Identify repetitive tasks that slow your team down-drafting briefs, summarising reports, creating FAQs-and flag them as early candidates for GovAI Chat.
- Use the coming use-case library to find examples you can adapt instead of starting from scratch.
- Build muscle on prompts, review practices, and red-teaming. Treat AI output like a smart first draft, not a final answer.
- Work with your CIO/Chief AI Officer on data access, privacy settings, and appropriate risk thresholds for your line of work.
- Engage early in consultation processes to shape job design, skills development, and mobility options that work for your team.
Standards and accountability
Safe, ethical use is the standard. Human oversight is baked in. Governance is shared and transparent. That's how the APS gets the benefits of AI without losing trust.
For broader context on ethics and privacy, see the Australian Government's AI ethics principles and guidance via the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner.
OAIC: Artificial intelligence guidance
Upskilling for the shift
The plan includes training and capability support so staff can use AI safely and effectively. If you want a head start, explore practical courses by role and skill that focus on prompt quality, evaluation, secure workflows, and productivity gains suited to public sector work.
Explore AI courses by job role
The bottom line
This is a practical path to AI at scale across the APS-secure, sovereign, and accountable. The tech does the heavy lifting. People make the calls. And the public gets services that feel timely, proactive, and human.
"The APS AI plan puts strong governance and transparency at its core, ensuring human oversight is always present," said Senator Gallagher. That's the standard to hold-and the opportunity to seize.
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