NSW Liberals and Nationals guarantee frontline jobs in AI race

Kellie Sloane Leader of the Opposition NSW Liberal Leader James Griffin Shadow Minister for Digital, Artificial Intelligence and Investment A Sloane Liberal and Nationals Government will guarantee frontline workers are not replaced by artificial intelligence, while also harnessing new technology to lift productivity, deliver better government services, cut waste and strengthen the NSW economy. After the 2027 election, the NSW Liberals and Nationals will appoint a dedicated Minister for Artificial Intelligence to lead the responsible adoption of AI across government and drive productivity improvements throughout the public sector. A NSW Jobs Guarantee and AI Efficiency Act would also dictate the responsible use of artificial intelligence across government protecting key workers including nurses, police officers, paramedics, and teachers. Key parts of the legislation include: - No frontline worker will lose their job to AI. - Government agencies will be required to identify practical ways AI can improve services and reduce unnecessary waste. - All significant government decisions involving AI will retain human oversight and be subject to strong privacy, governance and independent auditing requirements. Leader of the Opposition Kellie Sloane said the NSW Liberals and Nationals have a plan to capture the productivity benefits of AI without abandoning frontline workers and public trust. “Our frontline workers are the backbone of NSW and under a government I lead AI will be used to support them, not replace them,” Ms Sloane said. “There is a huge opportunity through the use of AI to lift productivity across government by reducing paperwork, speeding up decision making and giving frontline workers more time to do what the community relies on them for.” “A dedicated Minister for Artificial Intelligence will be responsible for driving this reform, measuring productivity gains and ensuring they translate into a government that works harder for people in NSW.” The NSW Liberals and Nationals will also establish a NSW AI Solutions Fund, bringing government, universities and technology sector together to support public interest projects. Shadow Minister for Digital, Artificial Intelligence and Investment James Griffin said the fund would help finance projects in areas which include disaster response, traffic congestion and future infrastructure planning. “NSW should be leading the Asia-Pacific region in responsible use of AI, attracting investment and creating jobs while also ensuring a benefit to the community,” Mr Griffin said. “We want to bring together government, universities and industry to solve real problems, from improving disaster response to better congestion management on our roads to get people home quicker.” “At a time when people feel like they’re working harder than ever, NSW cannot afford to ignore technology that ensures government is also working as hard as possible for them.” The legislation builds on the work done by the former Liberal and Nationals Government in creating Service NSW, the NSW Data Analytics Centre, Australia’s first Data Sharing Act in 2015, and the NSW Government Data Strategy in 2021.