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The Joint Committee of Public Accounts and Audit (JCPAA) has commenced an inquiry into public sector entities’ use and governance of artificial intelligence (AI) systems.
According to the JCPAA chair Linda Burney, “evidence that to the 2022-23 Commonwealth Financial Statements inquiry indicated an increased adoption of AI by public sector entities but also a lack of adequate governance frameworks to regulate and monitor this use.”
“The committee has decided that oversight is needed of the current and potential future impacts of this fast-developing technology in delivering outcomes for the Australian public,” she noted.
The inquiry will focus on how the public sector entity uses AI and whether there are planned or likely future uses.
JCPAA will also examine the existing legislative, regulatory, and policy frameworks relevant to AI use and whether they are fit for purpose.
Importantly, the committee will investigate whether the internal governance structures currently in place for AI will ensure its ethical and responsible use by public sector entities.
Other areas to be looked at will be the internal framework/policies or additional controls used for assessing the risks associated with the use and possible misuse of AI, including security, privacy, ethics, bias, discrimination, transparency and accountability.
Importantly, JCPAA believes there are sovereign capability issues to consider, given that most AI tools currently used in Australia are sourced from overseas.
The committee will also use existing submissions to the Inquiry into Commonwealth Financial Statements 2022-23 that were requested from Commonwealth agencies on their use of AI.
In August, ARN reported that the Digital Transformation Agency had come under intense scrutiny during the Senate Select Committee on Adopting Artificial Intelligence, held at Parliament House in Canberra on 16 August.
During the proceedings, Senator David Pocock questioned the agency on the federal government’s six-month trial of generative artificial intelligence through Microsoft 365 Copilot via the DTA, which started in November 2023.