Singapore’s Infocomm Media Development Authority has released version 1.5 of its Model AI Governance Framework for Agentic AI, and it deserves close attention from Australian public sector agencies. The framework recognises a shift already underway. AI systems are moving from content generation into task execution. IMDA describes agentic AI as systems that can take actions,…
A new vaccine is approved for a fast-spreading emerging disease. The TGA did its job well. State and Federal Health ministers are briefed. Budgets are approved and allocated. Departments and health authorities develop their plans. The rollout is announced. Doctors, nurses, and pharmacists are trained to administer the vaccine. The system worked as it should….
A recent Harvard Business Review study found that when researchers asked large language models for strategic advice, they got “trendslop” – recommendations that defaulted to whatever sounds fashionable in contemporary management: ‘Innovation’, ‘Augmentation’, ‘Long-term thinking’. The strategic advice was plausible, confident and, in many cases, largely useless. This isn’t a bug. It’s these AI systems…
I spoke at the IBR Gen AI Transforming Govt PA & Comms conference last week. The event handed out copies of the Government Writing Handbook – the APS Style Manual in distilled form – to everyone in the room. My immediate thought was: Is this available as a GenAI skill yet? Or as a RAG knowledge…
Last week, I attended and spoke at the International Business Review (IBR Conferences) event: GEN AI Transforming GOVT PA & COMMS 2026: The Future of GEN AI for Public Sector Communications and Public Affairs 2026 Hybrid Conference. I’ve included an excerpt of my presentation notes below for folks who were unable to attend. The AI Whisperer’s…
Australia’s Bureau of Meteorology (BOM) has copped a downpour of headlines for spending A$96.5 million on what some gleefully call “a website.” That framing is catchy – but it’s wrong. The public‑facing interface – the bit we click – cost about A$4.1 million. The heavy lifting was a complete rebuild and testing of the systems…
I’m not terribly sympathetic to the Australian Government’s attempt to ban social media access to under-16s. There are many reasons why a blanket approach is bad – from removing parental control to removing support networks for at-risk and diverse teens. However, if they’re going to propose it, at least they should have a solid plan…
Last week my youngest daughter graduated from university with an IT-related degree (with 2nd degree honours – she did better than me!) At her graduation ceremony, the occasional speaker, who was a public and not-for-profit sector CTO, congratulated graduates for being some of the last to graduate without the support and integration of large language…
Today marked the unveiling of the 2nd Australian Responsible AI Index, accompanied by urgent appeals for the government to intervene and curb the potential misuse of artificial intelligence (AI). The Australian Financial Review provided comprehensive coverage of this critical topic, revealing that a mere 3% of Australian companies are managing the adoption and continuous use of AI in…
As the first major action by a nation to limit the spread and use of generative AI, Italy’s government has taken the step to formally ban ChatGPT use not only by government employees, but by all Italians. As reported by the BBC, “the Italian data-protection authority said there were privacy concerns relating to the model,…
This archive mirrors the original eGov AU blog — Craig’s professional commentary on AI, digital government and technology in public life, running since 2006.
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