What happens when you put leading voices from government, technology and public administration into an AI-enabled public sector, and ask them to imagine a future, AI-enabled sector and what it means for the sector’s workforce and outcomes? 

On Thursday 11 September 2025, IPAA ACT did exactly that. At Towards 2030: An AI-enabled public sector – From public trust to workforce pitfalls, ABC broadcaster, writer and comedian Craig Reucassel steered a panel through an increasingly complex hypothetical vision of the APS in 2027. 

The hypothetical began with an ambitious premise: the Australian Government had decided the APS would become the gold standard for AI adoption. From there, the scenarios tested what that ambition could mean in practice, from AI-enabled customer service and connected government data to increasingly difficult questions about accountability, bias, privacy, data sovereignty and the future of the APS workforce. 

Host

• Craig Reucassel, ABC radio presenter

Speakers

• Mike Kaiser, Secretary of the Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water
• The Hon. Victor Dominello, CEO of the Future Government Institute
• Stephen Scheeler, CEO of Omniscient and former CEO, Facebook Australia New Zealand
• Dr Kylie Walker, CEO of the Australian Academy of Technological Sciences and Engineering
• Michelle Steele, Chief First Nations Officer, Paul Ramsay Foundation
• Dr Craig Emerson, Executive Director, Australian APEC Study Centre, RMIT University and former Minister for Trade
• Niki Strachan, Acting General Manager- AI Governance, Technology and Digital Policy Division, Department of Industry, Science and Resources.

Could technology deliver faster, more personalised services without leaving people behind? Who is accountable when AI gets it wrong? Should Australian government data ever leave Australian shores? And if AI takes over entry-level work, where will the next generation of public sector experts come from? 

A fictional AI service that produced poorer outcomes for First Nations Australians prompted discussion about representative data, inclusive design and the risk of technology reinforcing existing inequalities. Panelists also warned that digital exclusion could leave communities experiencing disadvantages further behind. 

But what emerged was not an argument for slowing down. 

AI is already changing how the government works. The challenge is to capture its potential without compromising the trust, accountability, equity, and expertise on which good public administration depends. 

Key takeaways 

• Trust and accountability: AI can support decision-making, but responsibility for decisions affecting citizens cannot be outsourced to technology. 

• Bias and fairness: Without representative data, inclusive design and strong governance, AI can reproduce or amplify existing inequalities. 

• Data and sovereignty: Stephen Scheeler described data as “the most precious commodity in the world today”, underscoring the need to understand where Australian government data goes, who controls it and how it is protected. 

• Jobs and skills: As AI reshapes work, the APS must protect the pathways through which people develop expertise. The future may require not simply a human in the loop, but an expert in the loop. 

• Service delivery: Faster digital services cannot come at the expense of accessibility. Citizens must still be able to engage with government through human, phone and face-to-face channels. 

The strongest message was one of urgency. Michelle Steele reminded the room that AI is “already here”. It’s now”, while Dr Kylie Walker likened it to the “steam engine of the modern age”. 

The question is no longer whether the public sector will use AI. It is whether the government can harness it quickly enough to realise its benefits while protecting the trust, fairness, accountability, and human expertise on which good government depends. 

This event was proudly supported by our Premier sponsor

This event was proudly supported by our event sponsor