Advancing Ethical AI in Government and Business

Advancing ethical AI in Government and business

GWI acknowledges the complexities of AI assurance in ensuring successful outcomes for businesses and government agencies. There is room for both the celebration of the progress and potential of AI, as well as a call to action for responsible and ethical AI deployment.

As AI technology adoption continues to evolve across several sectors, governments across the world are trying to ensure the legislation maintains pace with the speed of adoption.

In June 2024, the National Framework for the Assurance of AI in Government  was released. Based on Australia’s AI Ethics Principles as well as Australian, state and territory government frameworks, the national framework sets solid foundations for a consistent approach to AI assurance. Come September 1, 2024, the Policy for the responsible use of AI in government will come into effect, which aims to ensure that government plays a leadership role in embracing AI for the benefit of Australians while ensuring its safe, ethical and responsible use, in line with community expectations.

These frameworks and policies assist governments and businesses in developing, procuring and deploying AI in a safe and responsible way – acting as safeguards that make room for sustainable innovation.  

GWI’s AI Assurance services provide clear requirements and guidance for our customers to design, build and use AI technology ethically and appropriately. So how do we do it?

A holistic approach to AI Assurance

When undertaking an AI Assurance Assessment, GWI ensures a holistic approach to achieve the best outcomes for our clients. We draw on all available resources, frameworks, policies and best practices.

Most importantly, GWI is uniquely positioned to support our customers on their AI journey by establishing robust data foundations. This includes:

• Data discovery
• Privacy, protection and security implications
• Data quality standards
• Governance frameworks
• Data transparency and explainability 
• Accountability 
• Rules and controls for data access
• Ongoing compliance requirements

Considerations from the national framework

As a subset to the above, organisations and businesses should consider the following when implementing a new AI solution:

• • Human-centred values – AI systems should respect human rights, diversity and the autonomy of individuals.

• • Fairness – AI systems should be inclusive and accessible, and should not involve or result in unfair discrimination against individuals, communities or groups.

• • Privacy protection and security – AI systems should respect and uphold privacy rights of individuals and ensure the protection of data.

• • Reliability and safety – Throughout their lifecycle, AI systems should reliably operate in accordance with their intended purpose. This should be documented and evidence-based.

• • Transparency and explainability – There should be transparency and responsible disclosure so people can understand when they are being significantly impacted by AI, and can find out when an AI system is engaging with them.

• • Contestability – When an AI system significantly impacts a person, community, group or environment, there should be a timely process to allow people to challenge the use or outcomes of the AI system.

• • Accountability – Those responsible for the different phases of the AI system lifecycle should be identifiable and accountable for the outcomes of the AI systems, and human oversight of AI systems should be enabled.

Overall, the use of AI should be assessed and managed on a case-by-case basis. This ensures safe and responsible development, procurement and deployment in high-risk settings, with minimal administrative burden in lower-risk settings.

Want guidance on your AI project? Get in touch with the GWI team today