AI regulation at the heart of the public sector's roundtable pitch

The Community and Public Sector Union says the responsible roll-out of AI across the public service must include early consultation with workers, strong protections against AI use for surveillance and commitments to retraining.

It follows calls from the Australian Council of Trade Unions for mandatory agreements to compel employers to consult with staff before introducing new AI technologies.

Meanwhile, the Productivity Commission has recommended a more cautious approach to regulation, recommending high-risk AI guardrails to be paused and for AI-specific regulations to be considered only as a last resort.

The opposing views will be laid bare at the much-hyped Economic Reform Roundtable this week, which promises to put productivity at the centre of the three-day discussion.

The roundtable wishlist is vast, with everything from a four-day work week to lower corporate tax rates set to be presented by a wide range of sectors.

A pause on changes to the National Construction Code and a plan to clear a backlog of housing approvals could also be on the agenda, according to leaked Treasury documents that Treasurer Jim Chalmers and Prime Minister Anthony Albanese have both played down.

The CPSU will be represented at the roundtable by the Australian Council of Trade Unions, but has put forward its own ideas in a two-page pitch.

Alongside strong AI regulation, the union will argue for proper funding for the CSIRO, which it says is facing the biggest job cuts in a decade, and that "unfair and inadequate" federal tax settings are addressed.

The union has argued that public sector workers must receive a fair share of the gains that may come from increased productivity as a result of AI.

CPSU national secretary Melissa Donnelly said the Australian government should lead the way in using AI to boost productivity, but jobs, rights and public trust must be protected.

"But this won't happen by chance. The government must adopt a strong regulatory framework that guarantees job security, worker agreement, genuine consultation and transparency," she said.

"The uptake of AI technology in this country must not prioritise cost-cutting - it must prioritise Australians."

A 2024 survey of almost 2000 Australian public servants found while more than 40 per cent were aware of AI being used in the workplace, almost all respondents had not received any training on it.

Almost half of respondents rated their level of understanding of AI as poor, the CPSU survey found.

Ms Donnelly warned that Australia must learn from the damage that automation caused in the robodebt scheme.

"Robodebt impacted millions of Australians, destroyed livelihoods and shattered public trust in government," she said.

"It would be negligent of the government to sideline those lessons in the age of AI."

Bright minds from business, unions, and government will descend on Parliament House on Tuesday, August 19, in a bid to find solutions for Australia's lagging productivity and precarious budget position.

Among those who received an invitation are representatives from the National Farmers' Federation, AustralianSuper, Macquarie Group, BHP and the Australian Conservation Foundation.

Economists and university professors are also on the list of attendees.

Reserve Bank governor Michele Bullock will kick off day one of the roundtable with a presentation on productivity trends.

The rest of the first day's agenda includes international risks, skills attraction and business investment.

Day two will start with an address from Productivity Commission chair Danielle Wood, before diving into topics such as better regulation, competition and AI.

Day three is all about "a better tax system", although there has been plenty of scepticism around how serious the government is about reform in this area.

The roundtable will also hear from Treasury secretary Jenny Wilkinson and Grattan Institute CEO Dr Aruna Sathanapally on the third and final day.