Artificial Intelligence (AI) Transparency Statement

This statement sets out our approach at the Department of Veterans’ Affairs (DVA) to the safe, responsible and ethical adoption and usage of artificial intelligence (AI) in accordance with the Digital Transformation Agency’s (DTA) Policy for the responsible use of AI in government. 

Our Approach to AI

At DVA, we are dedicated to the ongoing transformation and modernisation of our digital ecosystem to ensure veterans and their families have timely access to support and services. This includes understanding opportunities to enhance and automate through the application of technology, including how we can safely and responsibly use AI to improve our processes, modernise our digital services, and drive improvements and innovations that ensure we provide a connected and accessible veterans support system.

AI is a fast-changing technology that has great potential to improve operations and enhance services provided by the department. It is a transformative technology that we will engage with carefully and transparently as we explore how we can safely and ethically use it to improve outcomes for the veteran community, and the Australian community at large.

We are committed to transparently working with veterans on how AI could be used to better support their needs.  

Robust AI Governance

We are finalising an AI Policy that incorporates the principles, the approach to risk management and the approval considerations to help guide our investigation, evaluation and implementation of AI, and our adoption of suitable, robust AI governance. We will continue to be guided by Australian Government policies, frameworks and guidelines around AI as well as industry best-practice.
As per the DTA’s Policy for the Responsible use of AI in Government, DVA will ensure:

• AI use is appropriately governed
• engagement with AI is confident, safe and responsible, and promotes accountability and transparency
• stakeholders, particularly the veteran community, have trust in our use of AI
• risks are identified and addressed with appropriate mitigation measures
• AI access and usage is monitored.

We have stood up an AI Advisory Board, which includes Australian Government representatives, technical experts and a representative from the veterans’ welfare and advocacy community organisations. The Advisory Board will ensure there is proper consultation with the veteran community in consideration and adoption of AI. Additionally, the Advisory Board will provide advice on AI safety and security, and will be consulted on AI initiatives, as well as on the preparation and maintenance of this transparency statement.

DVA is wanting to explore opportunities where AI can help to achieve positive outcomes for veterans and veteran families. Ongoing engagement and consultation with the veteran community is essential for our understanding of how these opportunities can appropriately support this aim, and to ensure improved outcomes and improved services. 

We are committed to building trust with the veteran community, and we are committed to transparently designing and driving improvement initiatives through consultation with veterans, their families and their advocates. 

When new proposals on AI are considered, the department will engage with the veteran community via established communication and consultation mechanisms, such as, but not limited to:  

• DVA website
• Social media
• VetAffairs
• Defence Publications & Transition seminars
• Advocacy Training and Development Program (ATDP) newsroom articles  
• Deputy Commissioner mailing lists (State Ex Service Organisations (ESOs) and fee-for-service advocates)  
• National Consultation Framework (National ESOs) comprising  
  • Ex-Service Organisation Round Table (ESORT)  
  • Female Veterans Families Forum (FVFF)   
  • National Aged and Community Care Forum (NACCF)  
  • Operational Working Party (OWP)  
  • Younger Veterans - Contemporary Needs Forum (YVF).

Adoption of AI in DVA

The department adopts the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) definition in our consideration and discussion of AI:

An AI system is a machine-based system that, for explicit or implicit objectives, infers, from the input it receives, how to generate outputs such as predictions, content, recommendations, or decisions that can influence physical or virtual environments. Different AI systems vary in their autonomy and adaptiveness after deployment.

The department currently has AI technology deployed in two instances: 

• Horizon Scanning – AI technology is used in a platform for identifying, analysis and assessment of trends and patterns in veteran support services usage and needs.
• Statistical Modelling – AI technology (Machine Learning algorithms) is used to support maintenance and enhancement of data modelling.

These instances are used for analytics for insights across service delivery and corporate and enabling domains. The department will monitor usage to assure ongoing suitability of these technologies for these purposes. For more information about the usage of AI in government and the domains in which they apply, please see http://digital.gov.au/ai/resources/use-classification. 

Simpler forms of basic computer validation and task automation

As the community would expect, DVA computer systems support staff and decision-makers with basic validation and task management, which can include some basic automation. These types of activities are governed by other arrangements and are outside the scope of the Policy for the responsible use of AI in government.

DVA does make use of basic computer-assisted task management to support the efficiency of its service delivery and decision-making processes in line with general principles of administrative decision-making. 

DVA does not presently make use of AI in claims processing or in administrative decisions. 

Compliance

As part of our adoption of AI technology, we are ensuring compliance with all relevant legislation, including the Archives Act 1983 (Cth), Freedom of Information Act 1982 (Cth), and the Privacy Act 1988 (Cth), DVA’s Privacy Policy, and compliance with relevant Veterans’ Affairs law. 

For more information about the laws relevant to support for veterans and their families, please visit our website. For additional detail about all legislation administered by the department, please visit the Federal Register of Legislation. 

The department is compliant with the mandatory requirements of the Policy for the responsible use of AI in government: 

• First Assistant Secretary Technology & Finance was designated as our AI Accountable Official in October 2024. 
• This AI Transparency Statement was first published on dva.gov.au in February 2025. 

We will be reviewing and updating this statement periodically or when significant changes occur within our adoption of AI technology.

For enquiries about the DVA AI Transparency Statement or about our adoption and usage of AI, please contact us at AI@dva.gov.au.