AI in the Victorian public purpose sector

IPAA Victoria’s hub for insightful AI knowledge in the sector. Explore vodcasts, podcasts, articles, and resources that unpack what AI adoption really means for the Victorian public purpose sector.

Behind the glossy reports and vendor pitches, what does real AI implementation look like in government? 

Victorian Small Business Commission: How small teams are Using AI task assistants

What can small teams do when a broad communications and engagement workload falls to just one or two people? In this episode of Real Talk: AI in the VPPS, Cate Pratt, Nick Edrington and Tim Symons from the Victorian Small Business Commission share how they are using AI task assistants to support their work while keeping people firmly at the centre of every decision.

The conversation explores how task-specific AI assistants are helping the team draft briefs, develop newsletter content and improve consistency across communications. The panel also shares lessons from testing and refining AI tools, the capabilities needed to use them effectively, and why human judgement remains essential to producing quality outcomes. We also discuss the role leaders play in creating a culture that supports safe experimentation, learning and innovation, helping teams build confidence as they adopt new ways of working.

Whether you are leading a small team or exploring AI in your own role, this episode offers practical insights into using AI to reduce administrative burden, improve workflows and create more time for higher-value work, while keeping people firmly in the loop.

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Will Babington: using AI to support frontline workers with the right problem statement

In this episode of Real Talk: AI in the VPPS, Will Babington, Head of Enabling at the Building and Plumbing Commission, shares how an AI-powered solution helped frontline social workers access critical information faster and with greater confidence.

Drawing on his experience leading a major AI project at The Salvation Army, Will discusses how the team focused on solving a real operational challenge, reducing the burden of navigating multiple systems, so staff could spend more time supporting people in crisis.

Speaking with Kate Fraser, Will explores the importance of starting with the problem, not the technology, involving end users in the design process, and ensuring AI enhances rather than replaces human expertise. He also shares practical lessons for leaders looking to implement AI responsibly and at scale.

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Karen Dermody: using AI to support policy advisors in the Department of Education

In this episode of Real Talk: AI in the VPS, Karen Dermody, Director Digital Design and Innovation at the Department of Education shares a practical case study of how AI is being used to support policy advisors working in a complex, high-stakes environment.

Speaking with Kate Fraser, IPAA Victoria’s Executive Director, Program Delivery, Karen outlines how her team introduced an AI assistant to help navigate hundreds of policies, reduce cognitive load, and deliver faster, more consistent guidance to schools. The conversation explores how the project was designed to amplify, not replace, human expertise, with strong emphasis on trust, transparency, and continuous feedback. Karen highlights the importance of clear guardrails, daily iteration, and close collaboration between policy experts and technologists to improve accuracy and build confidence in the tool.

This episode offers insights for public sector leaders on implementing AI responsibly, demonstrating how organisations can scale expertise while keeping human judgement at the centre.

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Professor Eduard Hovy: AI, trust and human‑centred government

In this episode of Real Talk: AI in the VPS, Kate Fraser sits down with Professor Eduard Hovy, Executive Director of Melbourne Connect and Professor at the University of Melbourne to explore how generative AI is reshaping the Victorian public purpose sector.

Professor Hovy shares insights from his collaboration with the Victorian Coroner’s Court, demonstrating how AI can process complex, sensitive material at scale while keeping human judgement at the centre. The conversation also dives into emerging VPS applications, from multilingual government avatars to productivity tools and cross‑agency innovations, and unpacks new research into steering vectors, a technique designed to reduce bias and hallucinations in large language models.

He also reflects on the sector’s cultural shift from “fear to fluency,” emphasising that AI is augmenting, not replacing, public sector expertise, and that careful, incremental adoption is essential to maintaining public trust.

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Flipping the script: how reverse mentoring is driving tech adoption

IPAA Victoria’s Executive Director, Program Delivery, Kate Fraser, sits down with engineering and technology leader Dr Bronwyn Evans AM to explore how reverse mentoring is helping organisations navigate rapid technological change. Drawing on decades of experience across engineering, standards, advanced manufacturing and AI, Bronwyn shares her insights into how younger, digitally fluent professionals can challenge assumptions, strengthen leadership capability and accelerate responsible tech adoption.

Through real examples spanning governance, innovation, intergenerational collaboration and culture change, this conversation offers a grounded, human perspective on why reverse mentoring is becoming a strategic tool for the public purpose sector.

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YIPAA (Young IPAA): AI in the hands of young professionals - practical ways to embed AI for daily efficiency

This episode of Real Talk: AI in the VPS brings together three young public purpose professionals from our Young Professional network (YIPAA), Nikolai Sas, Lucy Kelly and Mia Sieber, for an open chat about how AI is showing up in their day‑to‑day work.

Interviewed by Kate Fraser, they share real examples of where AI is already helping with things like accessibility, analysis and quicker decision‑making, and they’re honest about the cultural and ethical questions teams are still working through. It’s a grounded perspective at what’s possible right now, without the hype. What really stands out is how early‑career professionals are leading the way, sharing use cases, building confidence across their teams and helping shape what responsible adoption looks like in the VPS.

If you’re curious about how AI is actually being used on the ground, this conversation is a refreshing, real‑world view of the opportunities and the work still ahead.

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John Batho: AI, customer‑centric design and the future of government services

In this episode of Real Talk: AI in the VPS we explore how artificial intelligence is reshaping the way government works. Host Kate Fraser sits down with John Batho, Deputy Secretary of Digital and Government Services, for a frank discussion on the opportunities and challenges of AI in the Victorian Public Service (VPS).

The conversation goes beyond technology to focus on people, governance and trust. John shares examples of AI already delivering value, including secure tools designed for public servants, and highlights why a human-centred approach is critical. They unpack what responsible AI looks like, the skills needed in an AI-enabled workplace, and the role of collaboration across jurisdictions. If you’re interested in how AI can improve services while maintaining integrity and social licence, this episode offers insights, real-world examples and a clear vision for the future.

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Máiréad Doyle: AI, elections and disinformation

In the first episode of Real Talk: AI in the VPS we speak to Máiréad Doyle. In 2024, Máiréad received a Churchill Fellowship to investigate how AI technology influences the spread of misinformation and disinformation during elections. Her report, published in September 2025, examined global use of AI in election disinformation and offered recommendations for Australian government bodies. These insights are the focus of today’s episode.

Máiréad recently retired as Executive Director, Governance & Enabling Services at the Victorian Electoral Commission, where she led corporate strategy, planning and governance. A chartered mechanical engineer, she built a 30-year career in executive leadership across private, public and not-for-profit sectors.

 

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Public Sector Perspectives: AI, policy and practice with Dr Steve Hodgkinson

In this episode Public Sector Perspectives, Dr Steve Hodgkinson talks about the potential impacts of AI on the way the public sector works.

Drawing on his long experience in the sector, including his current position as Chief Digital Officer for Victoria Police, Steve offers some very practical advice on how public servants can safely use the new tools that AI creates and the sort of the traps that you need to avoid. Whilst it’s tempting to see AI is being totally new and different, Steve argues that AI is still just IT and that many of the IT policies and procedures that we have built in the past are still relevant in the AI-enabled workplace.

 

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