AI adoption across government depends on more than choosing the right tools.
For agencies looking to move beyond isolated pilots, the harder work often sits underneath: modern technology platforms, reliable data, clear governance, workforce capability and operating models that can support adoption at scale.
That is the focus of the Technology, Data and AI Integration stream at Government Innovation Showcase Federal 2026, taking place in Canberra on 22 October.
Designed for leaders working across technology, data, ICT, architecture and transformation, the stream will examine how agencies can connect business priorities with technology strategy and build the foundations needed for smarter, faster and more resilient government operations.
Explore the event: Overview page | Agenda page | Registration page
Putting AI governance into practice
The stream opens with “AI Governance in Practice: Balancing Innovation, Risk and Public Trust.”
Alana Lundy, Chief Information Officer and Chief Information Security Officer, Department of Social Services, will look at what responsible AI governance means once agencies move from principles into implementation.
The discussion will explore how governance can be embedded throughout the AI lifecycle, from the initial idea through to deployment, while still giving agencies room to experiment and improve services.
Privacy, transparency and accountability will be central to the conversation, alongside the practical challenge of applying government guardrails and guidance in operational settings.
The aim is not to create governance that slows innovation. It is to give agencies a clearer framework for adopting AI with confidence.
Breaking through the barriers to AI adoption
Technology alone is rarely the reason AI initiatives struggle to scale.
In “Overcoming Systemic Issues and Barriers to AI Adoption in Federal Government,” Daniel Livesey, Assistant Secretary, GovAI, Department of Finance, and Ramsey Beydoun, AI Branch Manager, Digital Transformation Agency, will examine the structural, cultural and policy barriers affecting adoption across the APS.
Their discussion will look at:
- balancing governance and assurance with the need to experiment and deliver
- workforce capability and change management
- leadership challenges when embedding AI into everyday operations
- lessons from early adopters moving from pilots to enterprise deployment
- why strong data governance remains essential to meaningful AI adoption
These are increasingly practical challenges for agencies. Many have already proven that AI can create value in specific use cases. The next question is how to make those gains repeatable, governed and sustainable.
From business priorities to technology decisions
AI strategy cannot sit separately from broader organisational strategy.
That will be the focus of “From Business Strategy to Technology Strategy: Preparing for the AI Era,” featuring Kristin Auld, Chief Technology Officer, Australian Federal Police, and Mike Webb, Chief Information Officer, Department of Parliamentary Services.
The session will explore how agencies can start with the outcomes they need to achieve and work backwards into the technology, infrastructure and platform decisions required to support them.
Topics will include strengthening collaboration between business and technology leaders, securing investment through outcome-focused business cases, managing legacy environments and ensuring technology investment delivers measurable value.
It is an important shift in thinking. Rather than introducing AI and then looking for somewhere to apply it, agencies need to be clear about the problem they are solving and whether their technology environment is ready to support that ambition.
From AI ambition to operational capability
The Technology, Data and AI Integration stream will also feature partner-led sessions focused on the practical realities of modernisation and AI adoption.
That includes discussion on why AI initiatives can become stuck in experimentation, with challenges such as fragmented data, legacy technology, governance, skills and traditional delivery models all affecting an organisation’s ability to scale.
Across the stream, a common theme emerges: successful AI adoption is as much about foundations as it is about the AI itself.
Agencies need modern infrastructure, trusted data, clear accountability and a strong connection between organisational priorities and technology investment.
When those pieces work together, AI becomes easier to integrate into everyday government operations rather than remaining a collection of separate pilots.
Part of a wider conversation on the future of the APS
Technology, Data and AI Integration is one of four streams at Government Innovation Showcase Federal 2026, alongside Digital Services, CX and AI Innovation, AI-Enhanced Productivity and ACT Digital Futures.
The wider Showcase will bring together senior Australian Government leaders to discuss how AI, data, automation and digital innovation are changing service delivery, decision-making and workforce capability across the APS. The program also includes a Ministerial Address, government keynotes, executive panels, fireside chats and interactive sessions.
For Federal Government teams working through technology modernisation, data strategy or the practical adoption of AI, the day offers an opportunity to hear what peers are doing, compare approaches and explore what it will take to move from experimentation to lasting capability.
Government Innovation Showcase Federal 2026 takes place on Thursday, 22 October 2026 in Canberra. Registration is complimentary for government attendees.
Explore the event: Overview page | Agenda page | Registration page
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