AI Governance Resources
Official Australian Government frameworks, guidance, and policy documents for responsible AI development and deployment.
Who this page is for
These resources are provided for boards, risk teams, and practitioners seeking authoritative reference material on AI governance expectations in Australia. Use this page when preparing governance and oversight frameworks, conducting due diligence, or benchmarking against official guidance.
Key regulatory context
The National AI Plan (December 2025) confirmed Australia will rely on existing legal frameworks and sector regulators rather than introducing a standalone AI Act. The Guidance for AI Adoption (AI6, October 2025) has superseded the earlier Voluntary AI Safety Standard. The Policy for Responsible Use of AI in Government was updated to v2.0 in December 2025 with strengthened accountability, transparency, and impact assessment requirements. The Australian AI Safety Institute is becoming operational in early 2026.
These resources inform and are referenced within AIGC's assessment framework.
Guidance for AI Adoption
Released by the National AI Centre in October 2025, this is the current primary government guidance for responsible AI in Australia. It sets out six essential practices and replaces the 2024 Voluntary AI Safety Standard. Start here.
Key Government AI Resources
These resources are provided for reference purposes. Listing does not imply endorsement of AIGC by any government or standards body. AIGC governance assessment is conducted against AIGC's published framework and does not constitute formal assessment under government or ISO standards.
Guidance for AI Adoption: Implementation Practices
The detailed, step-by-step version of the national guidance, for governance and technical teams putting the six essential practices into operation. Read this when you move from awareness to implementation.
Australia's AI Ethics Principles
The eight voluntary principles that underpin the national guidance and most Australian Government AI policy. The foundation that the rest of the framework maps back to.
National AI Plan
Australia’s national AI strategy. It confirms the current direction: rely on existing laws and sector regulators plus voluntary guidance, supported by a new AI Safety Institute, rather than a standalone AI Act. Read this to understand where regulation is heading.
Voluntary AI Safety Standard
The 2024 standard and its ten guardrails. Now superseded by the Guidance for AI Adoption, but retained here because many existing frameworks and contracts still reference the ten guardrails by number.
Privacy and the use of commercially available AI products
How the Privacy Act and the Australian Privacy Principles apply when your organisation uses AI tools. Includes practical checklists. Read this if staff use chatbots, assistants or content tools that touch personal information.
Privacy and developing and training generative AI models
The companion privacy guidance for organisations using personal information to train or fine-tune generative AI models.
Transparency for AI and automated decision-making (APP 1.7 to 1.9)
From 10 December 2026, the Privacy Act requires organisations to disclose in their privacy policy where a computer program makes or helps make decisions that significantly affect people, using their personal information. Includes OAIC fact sheets, a government supplement and a decision flowchart. Read this if any system scores, ranks, filters or informs decisions about individuals.
Engaging with Artificial Intelligence
Practical guidance on the threats specific to AI systems and the steps to use them securely, covering both self-hosted and third-party tools. Read this alongside the Essential Eight.
Policy for the responsible use of AI in government
The whole-of-government policy (version 2.0, effective December 2025) governing how Australian Public Service agencies adopt AI, including accountable officials, use-case registers and impact assessments. Relevant if you supply to, or work with, government.
Standard for AI transparency statements
The requirement for agencies to publicly disclose how they use AI. A useful model for any organisation considering its own transparency approach.
REP 798 Beware the gap: Governance arrangements in the face of AI innovation
ASIC's review of AI use across licensees, warning that adoption is outpacing governance. It sets out the regulator's expectations and the questions every board in financial services should be able to answer.
Artificial intelligence and medical device software regulation
When and how AI-enabled software is regulated as a medical device in Australia. Essential reading for anyone building or deploying AI in diagnosis, monitoring or treatment.