This statement outlines how the Office of the Fair Work Ombudsman (Agency) uses artificial intelligence (AI), how AI-related risks are governed and managed, and how the Agency complies with the Digital Transformation Agency’s (DTA) Policy for Responsible Use of AI in Government 2.0 and other applicable Commonwealth AI legislation, regulations, and frameworks. (Template language)
The Agency is committed to a safe and responsible use of AI to support our purpose of promoting harmonious, productive, cooperative, and compliant workplace relations. This means that while AI systems and capabilities may provide insights or administrative support, all decisions regarding compliance, enforcement, and entitlements, are made by authorised Agency staff. AI systems and capabilities are strictly advisory, and their outputs are reviewed and verified by our staff.
Our use of AI is guided by the DTA’s Policy for Responsible Use of AI in Government 2.0, the Department of Industry Science and Resources Australia’s AI Ethics Principles, and our Agency's core operational principles. (Template language)
We use secure, commercially available software (including generative AI systems and AI capabilities) to address a variety of AI use cases, enabling our staff to focus on high-value complex work.
Consistent with the DTA’s Classification system for AI use, we classify our current AI use cases under the following usage patterns; noting we do not use AI where the public may directly interact with, or be significantly impacted by it:
Domain Decision making and administrative action Analytics for insights Workplace productivity Image processing Service delivery Compliance and fraud detection Internal use Law enforcement, intelligence and security Internal use Policy and legal Internal use Internal use Scientific Corporate and enabling Internal use Internal use
To ensure appropriate AI governance, oversight and leadership, the Agency has established designated accountability roles including that of the:
- AI Accountable Official (AO): The Chief Information Officer (CIO) is the Agency’s designated AI Accountable Official (AO), responsible for the implementation and oversight of AI initiatives. (Template language)
- Chief AI Officer (CAIO): The Chief Information Officer (CIO) and the Regulatory Transformation Group Manager share the role of Chief AI Officer (CAIO), providing strategic leadership, and helping drive AI adoption and cultural change within the Agency.
AI-related risks are managed through the Agency’s existing risk management procedures and protocols and executive oversight. The following measures enable us to actively monitor the effectiveness and safety of AI technologies:
- Risk assessments: We apply Agency risk management processes to evaluate proposed AI systems and AI capabilities, taking into consideration, privacy, security, and operational risks before and after deployment.
- Executive oversight: The AO provides high-level oversight of the Agency’s AI adoption to ensure it remains within the Agency's risk appetite and aligns with whole-of-government policy.
- Human oversight: The effectiveness of AI outputs is continually monitored by authorised staff using the AI systems and AI capabilities.
The Agency is compliant with the DTA’s Policy for Responsible Use of AI in Government 2.0. We have established a strategic approach to AI adoption, which will be formalised with the Agency’s AI Strategy 2026–27 and AI Governance Framework in March 2026. (Template language)
Reviews, update, and contact information
This transparency statement was last updated on 27 February 2026. It will be reviewed and updated:
- when making a significant change to the Agency's approach to AI (Shared with 1 other agency)
- when any new factor materially impacts the existing statement's accuracy. (Shared with 2 other agencies)
For any enquiries or comments regarding this statement, please contact us at aiqueries@fwo.gov.au.
Statement text © Fair Work Ombudsman, reproduced for transparency tracking (most agency content is CC BY 4.0 — check the original for specifics).