How we define AI
To promote transparency, we use the same definition of AI that applies across the NSW Government. While there is no universal definition of AI, we follow Digital NSW’s definition, which is based on leading international frameworks and standards:
“AI is the ability of a computer system to perform tasks that would normally require human intelligence, such as learning, reasoning, and making decisions”. More specifically, Digital NSW identifies four specialised domains of AI, including:
- Generative AI
- Machine Learning
- Natural Language Processing
- Computer Vision
Why we use AI
AI supports our vision of creating a safer, fairer, easier and more productive NSW by helping our staff to work more effectively and better support customers, and deepening our understanding of customer needs.
Service NSW uses AI for two main purposes: supporting staff productivity and improving customer service. The sections below explain how we currently use AI to support these goals.
Supporting staff productivity
AI is used internally to enhance staff productivity by assisting with both routine and specialist tasks. This includes supporting administrative work and software development activities, helping staff work more efficiently and consistently. Key uses include:
Administrative and business activities:
- Streamline administrative tasks, including using generative AI for text and media creation, document reviews, research assistance, and summaries.
- Support software development and maintenance with AI coding assistance tools.
Improving customer service
We use AI in a range of ways to improve customer service outcomes. Some of the purposes described below involve AI interacting directly with customers. For example, responding to chat enquiries or supporting identity checks. In other cases, AI operates in the background to support staff and enhance services. These uses include:
Service delivery:
- Provide fast, natural language responses to customer chat enquiries on the Service NSW website through the Eva Conversational AI service.
- Assist staff to quickly locate relevant internal policies, legislation and online resources when supporting customers over the phone.
Analytics for insights and recommendations:
- Analyse large volumes of de-identified customer interactions to better understand our customers and identify ways to improve the accessibility, ease and outcomes of our services.
- Provide customers the option to receive recommendations for benefits and services that they may be eligible for based on their specific circumstances.
Data quality:
- Improving data quality, accuracy and response times by pre-populating data, triaging or classifying customer enquiries and applications (digital and phone).
Image and audio processing:
- Provide a digital means for customers to verify identity for high-risk transactions, and Digital Identity and Verifiable Credentials transactions through biometric face verification.
- Support our processing of applications by converting digital documents to text and checking that documents provided by customers are in the correct formats.
- Convert customer phone calls to text for de-identified analytics and generate transcriptions and summaries of internal meetings.
AI and Automated Decision Making
Automated decision-making (ADM) is where rules or AI are used to make a decision about a person without a human making the final call. Service NSW does not use AI-based ADM for any formal administrative decisions that affect a person’s rights or access to government services.
Where AI tools are used to support staff (for example, to help check or summarise information from a customer’s application), staff must review and verify the information before making any decision. A staff member will always be accountable for the final outcome.
How we ensure AI is effective, safe and provides community benefit
All uses of AI at Service NSW are assessed using the NSW AI Assessment Framework (AIAF) to identify, manage and mitigate potential risks and harms, including impacts on privacy & security, fairness, accessibility and accountability. We also align our approach with Digital NSW policies and whole‑of‑government guidance to ensure consistency across the NSW public sector.
Service NSW applies a structured assurance and risk‑management approach to the design, procurement, use and monitoring of AI. This includes:
- clear policies about safe AI-use, including an AI acceptable use standard aligned with the NSW AIAF, and data handling requirements such as data minimisation and, wherever practicable, de‑identifying personal information before it is processed using AI
- internal policies to ensure compliance with the Australian Human Rights Commission (AHRC)’s 'Guidelines on equal access to digital goods and services’ and CAN-ASC-6.2:2025 ‘Accessible and Equitable Artificial Intelligence Systems’.
- targeted guidance and training for staff on responsible AI use
- using existing project approval and risk management processes to assess, govern and manage AI uses and risks
- ongoing monitoring of AI systems, including regular testing for accuracy, bias and changes in model performance
- specific assurance checkpoints when procuring or implementing new AI systems or features
- creation of an AI Assurance Register to track AI use cases, assurance outcomes and approvals.
When we’ll revisit or update this statement
We’ll review and update this statement every 12 months, or where there is a significant change in the Service NSW’s approach to AI.