State of AI Governance in Australia Report

In May 2023, HTI launched its major report on the State of AI Governance in Australia, outlining how Australian organisations are using and governing AI systems, and the obligations of these organisations and their corporate leaders.

Advancing AI Corporate Governance in Australia

Artificial intelligence (AI) is already being deployed at scale. While Australia lags many other developed nations in AI uptake, research conducted by HTI in December 2022 to April 2023 found almost two-thirds of Australian organisations either are already using or are actively planning to use AI systems. The top five operational areas for AI deployment were customer service; marketing and sales; clerical and administration; human resources; and product and/or service development (Figure 1). Three out of five use cases directly impact consumers, employees or potential employees.

Top five use cases for AI in Australian organisations (HTI,2022)

Our report, The State of AI Governance in Australia, published 31 May 2023, provides a timely overview of how organisations are approaching the governance of AI in Australia today. Its findings are based on surveys, structured interviews and workshops engaging more than 300 Australian company directors and executives, as well as expert legal analysis and extensive desk research. The report’s findings are summarised in our Insight Summary: The State of AI Governance in Australia.   

The vast majority of Australian organisations are using or exploring how they can use AI to add value to customers, drive productivity or increase efficiency, a trend that is accelerating since the public release of a series of highly capable generative AI tools. 

While the opportunities associated with AI are real, so are the risks and harms. Unfortunately, current organisational risk management and governance approaches are inadequate to address those harms. 

Corporate leaders should take urgent action to improve the governance of AI used by their organisations, in the form of suitable strategies, governance systems, new forms of expertise and human-centred cultures around AI. 

Our report outlines relevant legal obligations for corporate leaders and organisations. It also considers international trends in AI law and policy (which will be examined in greater detail in our forthcoming snapshot on international regulatory trends).  

THE STATE OF AI GOVERNANCE IN AUSTRALIA: This report, launched on 31 May 2023, provides company directors and senior executives with deep insights as to how Australian organisations are currently governing AI systems, and what their evolving obligations are. 

INSIGHT SUMMARY: THE STATE OF AI GOVERNANCE IN AUSTRALIA: Published 8 November 2023, is a summary of the State of AI Governance report, and provides a quick guide to AI governance in Australia for corporate leaders.

For more information on HTI’s AI Corporate Governance Program contact hti@uts.edu.au. 

Acknowledgement of Country

UTS acknowledges the Gadigal people of the Eora Nation, the Boorooberongal people of the Dharug Nation, the Bidiagal people and the Gamaygal people, upon whose ancestral lands our university stands. We would also like to pay respect to the Elders both past and present, acknowledging them as the traditional custodians of knowledge for these lands.