NSW govt names inaugural AI committee members

The NSW government has named an 11-member advisory committee of experts to advise it on the appropriate use of artificial intelligence.

The inaugural committee, which delivers on a key commitment in the state’s AI strategy last year, is the first of its kind for any federal, state or territory government in Australia.

It will help to develop NSW’s AI assurance framework, which will be used to determine the level of risk based on the data that the solution is using and the types of decisions it will generate.

Advice will also be used to build community trust by helping agencies manage and mitigate risk, namely when AI is used to assist decision-making and to improve service delivery.

Instead of the eight-person committee that had been planned, the government has named 11 individuals, including NSW chief data scientist Dr Ian Oppermann as the chair.

Joining Oppermann is Microsoft Australia national technology officer Lee Hickin, Services Australia chief data officer Maria Milosavljevic, and human rights commissioner Edward Santow.

Other committee members include:

• 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

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

“These experts have a wealth of experience that will help inform policymaking and cement NSW’s position as an AI leader,” he 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.”

In addition to the core members, other industry experts are expected to be invited to contribute on a case-by-case basis.