Artificial intelligence (AI) transparency statement - February 2026

The NDIS Quality and Safeguards Commission’s commitment to the safe and responsible use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) supports our vision to uphold the rights of people with disability and ensure safe, high-quality services across Australia, now and into the future.

The NDIS Commission applies the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) definition of AI in line with the Policy for the responsible use of AI in government by the Digital Transformation Agency (DTA) to ensure our AI use is safe, ethical, and transparent.

“AI refers to machine-based systems that analyse data, generate insights, and support decision-making in health and welfare contexts. These systems infer patterns from structured and unstructured data to produce outputs such as predictions, classifications, recommendations, or automation of routine tasks, with varying levels of human oversight.”

The NDIS Commission will comply with mandatory requirements under the DTA’s Policy for the Responsible Use of AI in Government, including strategic oversight, operational preparedness, and impact assessment for AI use cases, to ensure our AI practices remain safe, ethical, and transparent.

Use of AI by the NDIS Commission

At this time, the NDIS Commission is not using AI in any way that members of the public may directly interact with, or be significantly impacted by, without a human intermediary or intervention. As a prerequisite to using AI tools, NDIS Commission staff are required to complete internal training on the use of AI. 

The AI we use helps our staff make more informed decisions. It frees them to focus more on aspects of our work that require human judgment and empathy.

We classify our AI use according to classification system for AI. Our current and proposed use focuses on the following usage patterns and domains.

The table below represents AI usage patterns at the NDIS Commission:

The table below illustrates how the AI usage patterns are applied within the domains where AI is used at the NDIS Commission:

AI governance

We recognise the importance of robust governance, oversight and accountability. This helps us to ensure AI development and use is ethical and safe and delivers fit for purpose outcomes. We take a measured and cautious approach when exploring AI tools and techniques. We will closely monitor AI-enabled tools through governance processes, and take appropriate action, if intended benefits are not being realised or unintended consequences are arising. We only use AI in ways that maintain the security, privacy, transparency and ethical use of data. We always maintain appropriate human oversight. We continue to evolve our data governance as our maturity increases. We are expanding our policies and guidance to reference AI more directly. AI is evolving rapidly in an ever-changing technology environment. Therefore, we will continue to evaluate and change our data governance to ensure it remains fit for purpose. We will continue to train and develop our staff to ensure we use AI safely, responsibly and ethically.

The NDIS Commission will adhere to the Digital Transformation Agency’s Policy for the Responsible Use of AI in Government (Version 2.0), ensuring safe and ethical AI governance. This commitment includes strategic adoption, operationalising responsible practices, clear accountability, and risk-based oversight. The policy is dynamic and will evolve alongside technological advancements, emerging best practices, and regulatory developments.

Our Commitment

The NDIS Commission is committed to using AI in a safe, responsible and transparent way. Our AI initiatives align with the APS values, AI Ethics Principles and are central to the public’s best interest. We will:

• Comply with relevant legislation, regulations, frameworks, and best practice standards.
• Continue to work closely with the DTA and use AI in accordance with applicable guidelines and new insights as they emerge.
• Review this statement annually or when significant changes occur in our AI approach.

Safe and Responsible AI Adoption

We will be transparent as we adopt responsibly for the evolving AI technology and policy requirements. Our internal policies and guidance will align with the DTA’s Policy and emerging government standards, including mandatory guardrails for high-risk settings. These policies will cover governance, ethical use, security, record keeping, risk mitigation, and staff responsibilities. They will apply to all employees and contractors.

Examples of how we use AI

The NDIS Commission currently uses AI in the following system use cases, including: 

Microsoft 365 Copilot Chat:

By integrating Microsoft 365 Copilot Chat, the NDIS Commission is enhancing staff productivity. Copilot leverages generative AI to help automate repetitive tasks, summarise documents, assist in drafting emails and reports, and assist with data analysis, with staff responsible for reviewing and finalising content. This enables staff to focus on higher-value work, make more informed decisions, and reduce time spent on manual processes.

Classification system for AI use: workplace productivity usage pattern, corporate and enabling domain.

Cloud‑based contact solution:

The NDIS Commission is enhancing customer service through the adoption of a secure cloud‑based contact platform. This platform uses AI‑enabled speech and transcription functions to:

• Convert written text to spoken language.
• Transcribe audio conversations.
• Assess customer sentiment.

These capabilities enable the NDIS Commission to gain actionable insights, improve service quality, and optimise communication workflows. The result is a strengthened client experience, achieved through greater transparency, efficiency and responsiveness.

Classification system for AI use: analytics for insights usage pattern, service delivery domain.

Annotation of Text Documents

This capability is currently scheduled for late February 2026.

This AI use-case involves deployment of Large Language Models (LLMs) to process text documents, such as Complaints, Reportable Incidents, Audit Reports, etc. Our use of LLMs within this processing is limited to annotation of documents with summary information that supports further analysis. No regulatory decisions are made by the model, nor do the models make recommendations on possible regulatory actions. Information is processed in a secure internal environment.

Examples of use include the following:

• Identifying specific risk-indicators, such as a description within a Complaint indicating that a Participant was physically injured or that the Participant is a child.
• Categorisation with regard to main topics or themes.
• Extraction of entity names to identify relevant Providers or Workers.

Annotations provided by an LLM may be used to identify records that are relevant to a user’s search, may be presented in a summary or detailed views used by regulatory officers as part of an assessment or investigation, and/or may be used as part of an aggregation for reporting or to inform macro-analysis.

AI use through the browser

This capability may be available via publicly accessible services; however, the NDIS Commission does not use browser-based AI to make, automate, or determine regulatory or compliance decisions.