Centre for Public Integrity warns government is 'sleepwalking' into a robodebt repeat
Dr Catherine Williams, chief executive of the Centre for Public Integrity, has warned that the Australian federal government is "sleepwalking" into another robodebt scandal. She pointed to a lack of transparency and legislation around the government's use of algorithms and artificial intelligence, according to The Guardian.
The warning accompanies a report from the centre, titled "Computer Says No", which Williams launched. It examines the federal government's use of automated decision-making tools, meaning systems in which a computer program helps or makes an official decision. The report makes eight recommendations calling for urgent reform. Among them are a mandatory audit and a public register of all automated decision-making used by government, and an independent oversight body with powers to monitor, audit and investigate that use.
The robodebt scandal, which was examined by a royal commission, is the reference point for the concern. The government's Integrated Assessment Tool, or IAT, uses an algorithm to assess the level of home support older Australians are entitled to. The IAT has been found to routinely under-assess people's needs and package entitlements.
A report from the Commonwealth Ombudsman, the official body that examines complaints about federal agencies, was published in October. It found that transparency recommendations from the robodebt royal commission were ignored in developing and rolling out the IAT. The government has since banned aged care assessors from overriding incorrect algorithmic decisions made by the IAT.
Legislative proposals are also under way. In September, independent MP Kate Chaney introduced a private member's bill, a bill put forward by an individual MP rather than the government, to establish a legislated and mandatory framework for government use of automated decision-making. Separately, the Attorney-General's Department has been developing an automated decision-making framework, with public consultation on it ending in January 2025. Michelle Rowland is the Attorney-General.
