South Australia is establishing its first government-run Office for Artificial Intelligence, backed by a 28 million dollar commitment in the 2025–26 State Budget. The move is aimed at modernising the public sector and using technology to help deliver services more efficiently across a range of departments.
The new office will lead the development and rollout of artificial intelligence projects in areas such as healthcare, policing, social services and public administration. It is being set up to support the responsible use of AI and ensure that new tools are introduced in ways that are ethical and practical.
Recruitment is now underway for the first five staff members, starting with a Director of Artificial Intelligence. Once in place, the team will be responsible for assessing proposals from government agencies, allocating funding for trials and helping to shape policies that guide the use of AI in day-to-day operations.
The State Government is also introducing a system of “Proof of Value” projects. These are pilot initiatives designed to test whether AI can reduce costs, improve services and ease the administrative burden on frontline staff. The government is positioning the program as a way to allow health workers and police officers, for example, to spend more time with patients or in the community, rather than behind a desk filling out paperwork.
Michael Brown, the official overseeing the initiative, said the aim is to focus on outcomes that people will notice. He added that while the technology is evolving rapidly, the state has a responsibility to make sure its use is guided by careful planning and oversight.
The Office for AI will also be tasked with setting clear ethical boundaries. This includes ensuring that data is handled responsibly and that automated systems are designed to support, not replace, human decision-making. The office will work closely with other departments to monitor how AI tools are performing and whether they are achieving the goals set out at the start of each project.
South Australia has taken a leadership role in this area before. In 2017, the state established the country’s first dedicated institute for artificial intelligence, located at the former Royal Adelaide Hospital site. That early investment helped lay the groundwork for the current initiative, which is now being scaled up to support broader use across government.
The Malinauskas Government is presenting this as part of a broader push to modernise the public sector. Ministers have emphasised that the focus is not just on adopting new technology but doing so in a way that brings measurable benefits to residents.
While supporters welcome the move, some technology experts and policy watchers say ongoing transparency will be key. They point out that the use of artificial intelligence in government settings has raised concerns elsewhere, particularly around privacy, bias and accountability.
As the Office for AI begins work, its success is likely to be judged on how well it delivers practical improvements without compromising trust.
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