DHS opens AI Centre of Excellence in Canberra

The Department of Human Services (DHS) has opened a new Augmented Intelligence Centre of Excellence in Canberra to help drive the development and adoption of AI across government.

The new facility, which officially opened yesterday, will seek to ensure all government agencies can take full advantage of the benefits of AI.

DHS itself has already deployed three AI-powered digital assistants across its online platforms, which have helped answer more than 2 million enquiries since June last year.

Another internally facing virtual assistant deployed by the agency has answered more than 2 million questions from DHS staff in the past two years.

Minister for Human Services and Digital Transformation Michael Keenan said the new centre aims to allow other agencies to follow the Department’s lead, and to ensure that Australia stays ahead of the curve with future developments in the field.

“Augmented intelligence is not about replacing people with machines, but rather about developing ways to better support our people and further enhance the customer experience for the millions of Australians who rely on our services,” he said.

“The government has committed to the delivery of all government services online by 2025, and AI will play a major role in making this happen.

“In the not-too-distant future, I envisage that Australians will have access to fully customisable virtual assistants that will be able to speak any language, be able to talk people through each step of an online application form, or even let them know if they are eligible for a benefit without being prompted.”

Image credit: ©stock.adobe.com/au/faithie

Please follow us and share on Twitter and Facebook. You can also subscribe for FREE to our weekly newsletter and quarterly magazine.