Setting the tone for the priorities and thorniest challenges facing Digital Services, Customer Experience, and Service Design professionals. Explore how to deliver intuitive, inclusive and citizen-centred services through human-centred design, digital tools, responsible AI and automation.

Setting the tone for the priorities and thorniest challenges facing Technology, Data, ICT, Architecture and Transformation professionals. Learn how to modernise systems, embed AI, and leverage data to drive smarter, faster and more resilient government operations.

Setting the tone for the priorities and thorniest challenges facing COOs, CFOs, HR, Workforce, Operations and functional leaders. Discover how AI can streamline processes, augment decision-making, and unlock workforce capacity while driving both public sector and economic productivity.

As technology reshapes expectations and capabilities, public sector leaders have an opportunity to rethink how services are delivered, accessed and experienced. This session explores the technologies, operating models and leadership decisions that will define the next era of public service.

• Future customer expectations and changing engagement preferences
• The role of AI, digital identity and intelligent services in the next generation of government
• Harnessing data to anticipate needs and improve service outcomes
• Creating more connected, personalised and accessible experiences
• Bridging the gap between today's legacy systems and tomorrow's service models
• Defining a long-term vision for public service delivery

As AI adoption accelerates across government, the challenge is no longer whether to use AI, but how to govern it responsibly at scale. This session explores how public sector organisations can enable innovation while maintaining strong safeguards, ensuring AI is deployed safely, ethically and in ways that build public trust.

• Embedding governance into the AI lifecycle, from idea to deployment
• Managing risk without slowing down innovation and service improvement
• Designing adaptive governance models that keep pace with emerging technology
• Establishing clear decision pathways for AI use cases and approvals
• Strengthening resilience against key AI-related vulnerabilities in the public sector
• Applying guidance from the Australian Government AI Ethics Principles in operational settings
• Identifying and addressing critical vulnerabilities in AI-enabled systems

As public sector organisations face growing demands and finite resources, AI presents an opportunity to transform the way government operates. This session explores how agencies are leveraging AI to streamline processes, modernise workflows and enhance workforce productivity. Panellists will discuss practical approaches to integrating AI within existing systems, supporting workforce adoption and ensuring human oversight remains central to decision-making.

• Using AI to improve operational efficiency and service delivery
• Modernising legacy processes through intelligent automation
• Building workforce capability and confidence in AI-enabled environments
• Creating capacity for higher-value, strategic work
• Balancing automation with human judgment, accountability and governance

As citizen expectations evolve, governments are shifting from one-size-fits-all service delivery to more personalised, adaptive experiences. This session explores how data and digital tools can be used responsibly to simplify interactions, reduce friction and design services that better reflect individual needs and circumstances, while maintaining trust, privacy and transparency.

Discussion topics:

• Using data responsibly to tailor services to individual needs and circumstances
• Moving beyond one-size-fits-all processes to adaptive service experiences
• Ensuring personalisation is transparent, ethical and privacy-preserving
• Removing unnecessary steps that slow down or frustrate citizens
• Redesigning services based on real user journeys and feedback
• Using digital tools to simplify complex processes and reduce errors
• Continuously improving services based on citizen experience data

Artificial intelligence offers major opportunities to improve government services and operations, but adoption is often slowed by legacy systems, governance requirements, risk constraints and workforce capability gaps. This session explores the key systemic barriers holding back AI at scale in the Australian Public Service and what it will take to move from pilots to safe, trusted and enterprise-wide adoption.

Discussion topics:

• Identifying the structural, cultural and policy barriers slowing AI adoption across the Australian Public Service, including legacy systems, risk appetite and procurement constraints
• Exploring how agencies can balance governance, ethics and assurance requirements with the need for faster experimentation and delivery at scale
• Addressing workforce capability, change management and leadership challenges in embedding AI into everyday public sector operations
• Sharing practical approaches from early adopters on what is working to move from pilots to enterprise-wide AI deployment

Artificial intelligence is increasingly being used across Australian government to improve productivity, reduce administrative burden and free up staff to focus on higher-value work. This session explores practical AI use cases already delivering results, and what it takes to scale them across complex public sector environments.

Discussion topics:

• Real-world AI use cases improving productivity across federal government operations and service delivery
• Automating administrative and repetitive tasks to unlock staff capacity for higher-value work
• Moving from experimentation to scalable, embedded AI solutions across agencies
• Measuring impact: productivity gains, workforce outcomes and service improvements

The next generation of government services will be shaped by AI, intelligent automation and new approaches to citizen engagement. This session examines how Government can accelerate transformation, challenge traditional service models and leverage emerging technologies to improve outcomes, accessibility and trust.

Discussion topics:

• Which emerging technologies have the greatest potential to transform citizen experience?
• Using AI and data to simplify complex customer interactions
• Building trust through consistent, reliable and respectful service experiences
• Designing services that recognise broader citizen circumstances, not isolated requests
• Linking services together to reflect real-world complexity
• Improving coordination between programs and agencies

Successful AI, digital and customer experience initiatives begin with a clear understanding of business goals. This session examines how organisations can translate strategic priorities into technology investments, ensuring IT platforms, data capabilities and operating models are equipped to meet future demands.

Discussion topics:

• Starting with business outcomes and designing technology strategies to support them
• Understanding the infrastructure and platform requirements for AI-enabled organisations
• Strengthening collaboration between business leaders and technology teams
• Securing investment through outcome-focused business cases
• Balancing innovation with operational realities and legacy technology
• Delivering seamless and accessible customer experiences across channels
• Ensuring technology investments deliver measurable value and improved customer outcomes

The future of work is not about replacing people with technology—it's about enabling people to do their best work. This session examines how public sector organisations are using AI to augment workforce capability, reduce administrative burden and create more meaningful, high-value work while maintaining trust, transparency and human judgment.

Discussion topics:

• How AI is supporting, rather than replacing, public servants
• Managing workforce concerns and building confidence in AI adoption
• Equipping employees with the skills needed to work alongside AI
• AI co-design: Embedding staff perspectives into the design and deployment of AI solutions
• Creating responsible governance frameworks that support innovation and accountability