The NSW Government has named the members of its inaugural AI committee.

The 11-member advisory panel will advise the state government on the appropriate use of artificial intelligence. It is the first of its kind for any government in Australia.

Specifically, it has been tasked with developing NSW’s AI assurance framework - a set of tools to determine the level of risk in data and tech solutions.

They will also advise on how to build community trust, help agencies manage and mitigate risk, and when AI should be used to assist decision-making.

The government has named the following 11 individuals;

  • NSW chief data scientist Dr Ian Oppermann as chair

  • Microsoft Australia national technology officer Lee Hickin

  • Services Australia chief data officer Maria Milosavljevic, 

  • Human rights commissioner Edward Santow.

  • University of Technology Sydney distinguished professor and data science executive director Fang Chen

  • Data Synergies principal and UNSW business school professor Peter Leonard, who also chairs the Australian IoT Alliance’s data work stream and ACS’s AI and ethic technical committee

  • Australian Standards Committee on Artificial Intelligence chair Aurelie Jacquet

  • School of Illinois research fellow and data and AI ethicist Theresa Anderson

  • Public Purpose principal Martin Stewart-Weeks

  • Gradient Institute co-founder and CEO William (Bill) Simpson Young

  • Quantium Health & Government CEO Neil Soderlund

Other industry experts may be brought in to contribute on a case-by-case basis.

“These experts have a wealth of experience that will help inform policy-making and cement NSW’s position as an AI leader,” NSW customer service minister Victor Dominello said.

“I couldn’t have asked for a panel that was more qualified or experienced to determine the potential use of AI and the transformative impact it could have.

“AI is becoming more prevalent in our day-to-day life and the NSW Government is determined to lead the way in its use and to drive improvements wherever possible, while ensuring it’s done in an ethical way.”