Alex Roberts, AIDE
The recently launched AI Plan for the Australian Public Service(Opens in a new tab/window) outlined that agencies ‘will appoint Chief AI Officers in recognition of the fundamental shift that generative AI is bringing to government operations’. The plan requires agencies to appoint one of their existing senior leadership team as a Chief AI Officer (CAIO) by July 2026.
Why is the Australian Public Service (APS) doing this? And what are these CAIOs expected to do?
Setting the scene
Generative AI is a pretty big deal. It’s what’s known as a ‘general purpose technology’ – something that affects all aspects of society and the economy. For the APS, it offers tremendous opportunities to improve efficiency, decision-making, and service delivery. However, it also introduces complex challenges in terms of ethics, risks, accountability, and governance. That’s what’s meant by a fundamental shift to government operations.
Why a Chief AI Officer (CAIO)?
Many public sector organisations already have Chief Information Officers (CIO) and Chief Data Officers (CDO), or even Chief Digital Officers (also CDO) or some combination of these. There are also AI Accountable Officials(Opens in a new tab/window), who are accountable for the Policy for the responsible use of AI in government(Opens in a new tab/window) which requires agencies to embed responsible AI practices and apply risk-based governance.
But given the scale and nature of this fundamental shift, there is the need for a comprehensive approach. Chief AI Officers lead the transformation—identifying opportunities and driving cultural change. AI Accountable Officials enable it—providing the governance frameworks that let agencies adopt AI responsibly and confidently. Together, they ensure Australia's government doesn't just adopt AI, but does so in ways that deliver value while maintaining public trust.
The expectation is that the CAIO will be a very senior leader in the agency, separate to the Accountable Official where possible, and one who has the necessary influence to effectively drive the organisational change needed as organisations increase their use of AI.
Who should the Chief AI Officers be?
The initial guidance provided to agencies sets out some of the considerations involved in deciding who should fulfill the CAIO role and how it complements the role of Accountable Officials. For some agencies it will make sense for it to be combined with the CIO role. In others, with the CDO role. In yet others, it might make more sense for it to be driven by a policy or operational leader. Each public sector agency is different, and so the considerations of who it should be will also be different.
The initial guidance is designed to help make sure that the choice of CAIO is a deliberate decision rather than a default ‘the CAIO should be x, because they are the CIO/CDO/etc.’. There is not going to be a perfect overlap for every organisation, and any choice will have some trade-offs, regardless of who is picked for the role.
What happens next?
We see this guidance as a starting point, not a final blueprint. We know this is a new and messy space as we all start to get used to a world with AI, and adjust our processes and organisations to match the opportunity and to manage the risks. There’s going to be a lot to learn about what works and what does not. As AI continues to evolve, so will our understanding of its best practices in the public sector. We’d love to hear feedback – you can email it to us.
Agencies have until July 2026 to make the decision to appoint their CAIO (though we hope many will sooner than that). The new AI Delivery and Enablement (AIDE) function being established under the AI Plan for the Australian Public Service, will work with and coordinate the CAIOs to help drive safe and responsible adoption and deliver better outcomes for Australians.
Download the CAIO information pack (Opens in a new tab/window)