The group aims to provide real-world experience to other jurisdictions and portfolios looking to adopt AI and other advanced technologies to transform areas of government.
“We want to get this architecture right now. Learn from robo-loans. But learning from robo-loans doesn’t mean we put our heads in the sand and fall further behind.
Mr Rees said the complexity of government made it difficult for outsiders to be effective.
“The complexity is often not appreciated until you’re working in these large systems,” he said. “Until you fully appreciate the operating context of government, the challenges and constraints, and build lived experience of what works and what doesn’t. It’s a unique experience there.”
Mr Rees was also the former NSW Chief Digital and Information Officer. His review resulted in the federal government canning nearly $500 million to modernize more than 30 business registries.
He said the government’s transformation efforts are complemented by many technology-focused and IT product-focused efforts.
Professor Dominello said it was important to get ahead of technological change, noting that NSW worked on digital ID for five years before releasing a beta version. But he cautioned against thinking too far ahead.
“When it comes to the future, the best minds on the planet seriously only predict five to 10 years out with confidence.”