Albanese government warned it’s ‘sleepwalking into another robodebt scenario’ over use of algorithms and AI

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Centre for Public Integrity report says mandatory audit and public register of all automated decision-making needed…

The federal government is “sleepwalking its way into another robodebt” scandal amid a lack of transparency and legislation around use of algorithms and artificial intelligence in decisions, the chief executive of independent thinktank the Centre for Public Integrity said.

Dr Catherine Williams launched the centre’s “Computer Says No” report on Thursday, which examines the use of automated decision-making (ADM) tools by the government and calls for urgent reform.

The centre is concerned Australians may not know whether ADM has been used in decisions affecting them.

Among eight recommendations, the report calls for a mandatory audit and public register of all ADM use, and an independent oversight body with powers to monitor, audit and investigate the government over it.

Williams said the report was developed amid the centre’s increasing concern about the use of an algorithm as part of the government’s integrated assessment tool (IAT), which is used to assess the level of home support older Australians are entitled to.