As anyone who follows the Australian CIO50 would know, former Revenue NSW CIO Kathleen Mackay topped the list in 2021 largely for her work in applying AI and machine learning to help develop better systems and processes for identifying - and managing - vulnerable people with outstanding fines.
Somewhat awkwardly for her, Revenue NSW, and if we’re honest us at CIO Australia as well, the NSW Ombudsman released a report late last year concluding that that machine technologies used by Revenue NSW between 2016 and 2019 (Mackay’s tenure was largely after that period) to garnish monies owed for fines were applied unlawfully. The Ombudsman called for significant reforms in how the technologies should be used right across the public sector.
It spawned an inevitable flurry of headlines proclaiming ‘Robodebt 2.0’, and was no doubt viewed by many working in tech as an unnecessary setback on the road to governments harnessing machine technologies to deliver better quality services to people, communities and businesses, and generally improve lives. There are many examples of this happening.
But the Ombudsman report was probably also a wakeup call, reminding us all that governments face unique challenges in deploying AI and ML technologies compared with the private sector, including legal, privacy and political factors that need to be carefully balanced.
In this episode we talk with the NSW Government's chief data scientist, Dr Ian Opperman about his work as one of Australia’s – and the world’s – leading proponents of ethical AI systems, and Jeannie Marie Paterson, professor of law, co-director of the Centre for AI and digital ethics at the University of Melbourne, about the impressive potential – and significant challenges – for better utilising machine technologies across the public service.
