Turning workplace experience into best practice AI guidance

The Albanese Government has brought together employers at the forefront of artificial intelligence adoption to help inform Australia’s first AI Best Practice Guidance for workplaces.

Minister for Employment and Workplace Relations Amanda Rishworth hosted an AI Employer Roundtable in Canberra today, bringing together representatives from major Australian employers including Commonwealth Bank of Australia, Microsoft, AGL, Telstra, Kmart, Blackmores Group and Ramsay Health Care.

The roundtable drew on the experience of employers already introducing AI across large and diverse workforces and examined how businesses could realise the productivity benefits of new technology while supporting workers through change.

Topics for discussion included:

• the foundations of best practice AI adoption that shares benefits with workers and employers
• strategies for effective and inclusive change management
• ways to encourage and support best practice AI adoption in Australian workplaces
• lessons from introducing AI across large and diverse workforces
• building workers’ trust and confidence as workplaces adopt new technologies.

The roundtable is one of five consultations being held with unions, employers, small businesses, employer peak bodies and academics.

Feedback from these consultations will help inform the development of Australia’s first Best Practice Guidance for AI in the workplace.

Quotes attributable to the Minister for Employment and Workplace Relations, Amanda Rishworth:

“To realise the potential productivity gains from AI, workers and businesses need the capability to adopt new technologies with confidence that appropriate safeguards are in place.

“The lessons shared today will help inform Australia’s first tripartite Best Practice AI Guidance and make sure it reflects the realities of modern workplaces.

“Labor believes workers should have confidence that the adoption of AI will improve the way we work, not simply train their replacement.”