From red tape to algorithm: Reimagining the public service in an AI age
Innovation Month: ANU x AI CoLab workshop #1
How might artificial intelligence reshape the work, roles, and responsibilities of the public service? In this hands-on, creative session, participants will identify and explore practical opportunities for transforming our idea of government through AI. We’ll consider current public service challenges and weaknesses, and imagine new ways AI could support policy, service delivery, and decision-making – and then prototype our favourite ideas. No technical background required - just curiosity, creativity, and a willingness to think differently about the future of government.
Stay with us after the event to find out the winners of the second annual Bureauvision AI song writing contest, as we watch the closing ceremony on the big screen, 12:30-2:00pm.
Dr Ryan Young is the Director, Research & Methods at the NSC Futures Hub. He leads work with a wide range of organisations that integrates analysis of long-term trends and potential futures into effective everyday decision making. In this role, he has partnered with over 25 different government agencies from multiple jurisdictions across all areas of policy. Prior to the NSC he spent almost 5 years in strategic policy in the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet (PM&C) where he worked across all areas of public policy, including cyber security, counter terrorism policy, infrastructure, innovation, school funding and early childhood education.
Owen Cooper is a senior advisor at the NSC Futures Hub, and has designed and delivered future-focused workshops, simulations, wargames and training programs for state and federal government agencies across Australia, as well as in Asia and the United States. Prior to the NSC, he spent 14 years in the Department of Defence in intelligence and tradecraft roles, including an operational deployment to Timor-Leste. He is a graduate of the Oxford Scenarios Program at the University of Oxford, UK.
Ashton Papazahariakis joined NSC in 2024 as an Advisor with the Futures Hub, on secondment from the Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade. He was most recently a diplomat on the political team at the Australian Embassy Jakarta, leading on Indonesian domestic politics and engagement with political Islam. Ashton brings rich strategic policy experience across the breadth of Australian foreign policy and DFAT’s operations. He has fluency on Indonesia and South East Asia, China, the Middle East and Russia and thematic expertise on International Law, Cyber and Sea Law and Artic and Antarctica issues.
Note that this workshop builds on the earlier AI CoLab x NSC Futures Hub session. If you joined us previously, you’ll recognise some familiar foundations alongside new provocations and exercises. You're encouraged to invite a colleague to take part and bring a fresh perspective to the conversation.
AI CoLab events are intentionally open and collaborative. We capture photos, audio, and AI-generated transcripts so we can remix key insights for the AI CoLab Alliance community. This is always done in line with the Charter’s values; transparent, ethical innovation and knowledge sharing to accelerate collective learning (see join.aicolab.org). By participating in an AI CoLab event, you agree to your contributions being captured and shared in accordance with this policy.