Transparency Statement
Why we use AI
The National Health Funding Body (NHFB) seeks to enhance the quality and efficiency of our services through our commitment to innovation and excellence. The NHFB may pursue utilising AI to take advantage of the benefits the technology provides while carefully managing the risks to support our vision of improving the transparency of public hospital funding in Australia.
How we use AI
The Digital Transformation Agency’s (DTA) Policy for the responsible use of AI in government (the policy) along with the Standard for AI transparency statements, Interim guidance on government use of public generative AI tools and Australia’s AI Ethics Principles, provides requirements for Australian Government agencies to use AI safely, responsibly and ethically. This statement outlines how the NHFB will implement these policy requirements.
The NHFB may use both generative and narrow model AI and in accordance with the DTA’s Classification systems for use, we may use AI as described below:
- Usage Patterns includes providing insights through analytics, and enhancing workplace productivity. This allows our people to focus on more complex and meaningful work.
- Domains may include corporate and enabling, service delivery and data analysis.
All outputs generated with the assistance of AI in the NHFB will be assessed by a human to provide meaningful assessment and oversight and not for decision making purposes.
Public interaction and impact
At present, the NHFB does not utilise public facing AI applications that involve direct public interaction or significant public impact. This transparency statement will be updated if this changes
Ensuring safe and responsible use of AI
The NHFB is committed to using AI responsibly and transparently, ensuring that our AI initiatives align with our values and are in the best interests of the public. We will continue to work closely with our Shared Services provider and use AI in accordance with applicable legislation, regulations, frameworks, policies and best practice. We will be transparent as we enable, prepare, engage, and embrace responsibly the evolving AI technology and policy requirements.
The NHFB will work to adopt our Shared Services provider AI policy and guidance material. These will align with the DTA’s Policy, advice and guidance on for the safe, responsible and ethical use of AI. We will also ensure these will conform with the proposed mandatory guiderails for AI in high-risk settings that are currently being developed by the Department of Industry, Science and Resources.
We will leverage whole of Australian Government policies and internally develop additional policies and guidance materials as required for the following elements:
- AI Governance and approval processes
- Acceptable use of AI in the agency
- Ethical considerations
- Freedom of Information (FOI) considerations
- Record keeping
- Privacy and consent
- Security, procurement of AI systems
- Risk mitigation and technical guardrails
- Roles and responsibilities when using AI and required training for identified roles.
These internally developed policies will apply to all employees (including contractors) and consultants.
This transparency statement will be updated as the NHFB continues to develop and evolve the usage, policies and technology.
Accountable Official
The Deputy Chief Executive Officer is appointed as our AI Accountable Official for the NHFB.
How to contact us about our use of AI
If you have any questions about this statement or the NHFB’s use of AI you can contact our AI Accountable Official as follows:
Email: enquires@nhfb.gov.au
Postal Address:
National Health Funding Body
Attn: AI Accountable Official
GPO Box 1252
CANBERRA ACT 2601
Australia