AI transparency statement

Understand how NESA is using artificial intelligence within its own operations. Our principles aim to ensure AI use supports human judgement, upholds privacy and minimises risk.

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About this statement

NESA is adopting artificial intelligence (AI) tools to improve the quality, speed and consistency of our work. This statement explains how we use AI, what safeguards are in place, and how we make decisions about new uses of AI.

This statement covers NESA's own operations. It does not set expectations for schools or teachers. NESA is separately developing its position on AI in teaching, learning and assessment, involving engagement with the Board, school sectors, and the teaching profession. That guidance will be published separately.

The NSW Government requires all agencies to use AI safely and responsibly, consistent with the NSW AI Ethics Policy and the NSW AI Assessment Framework. This statement is part of NESA's compliance with those requirements, and complements the Government's policy. The full Government framework is available at Digital NSW.

NESA will update this statement as our use of AI develops. The version history is recorded at the end of this page.

Our principles

AI supports our people, but it does not replace their judgement

NESA's regulatory decisions – about teacher accreditation, school registration, curriculum, and examinations – are made by qualified people. AI may help those people work more effectively, but no decision that materially affects a person is made by an AI system without human review and approval.

We use information for the purpose we collected it

Where NESA uses AI tools that involve personal information, we use that information only for the purpose for which it was collected or a directly related purpose, consistent with the Privacy and Personal Information Protection Act 1998. Using AI to process an accreditation application more efficiently, for example, is a use for the same purpose the information was collected. We do not seek separate consent for the use of AI where the purpose of use has not changed.

We keep personal information within secure systems

NESA does not input personal or sensitive information into publicly accessible AI tools. Where AI tools process personal information, they do so within enterprise platforms that meet NSW Government security and data residency requirements.

We assess risk before we deploy

Before deploying AI in a new context, NESA applies the NSW AI Assessment Framework, assessing risks across:

community benefit
fairness
privacy
transparency
accountability.

All generative AI is classified as elevated risk under the Framework, triggering additional safeguards and documentation. Where residual risk remains high after mitigation, NESA refers the assessment to the NSW AI Review Committee.

We are open about what we are doing

This statement is one example of that commitment. Where NESA develops AI-powered tools for use by teachers or applicants, we will be clear about what the tool does, what data it uses, and what its limitations are.

How NESA uses AI

NESA uses AI in several ways. Some uses are embedded in software we already have. Others are being introduced through specific projects. In all cases, AI is used to address a specific need.

Productivity tools

NESA staff have access to AI features built into the Microsoft 365 productivity suite, including Microsoft Copilot. These assist with drafting, summarising, editing and organising information. Staff use these tools as an aid to their own judgement, not a substitute for it. AI features in other enterprise software NESA already uses, such as Adobe Acrobat, are also available under the same principles.

Software development

NESA's technology team uses AI-assisted development tools to improve the speed and quality of software delivery. These tools help developers write, review, test and document code. They do not determine what NESA builds, but can accelerate the work of skilled developers.

Business systems

NESA is upgrading to Dynamics 365 to manage teacher accreditation. AI capabilities within Dynamics 365 are being deployed to improve operational efficiency. These operate in the same secure data environment with the same access controls as the existing system.

Purpose-specific projects

NESA’s development of specific AI projects is determined by the needs of each operational division. They are approved under established divisional governance arrangements to address specific operational needs across NESA's regulatory and service delivery functions. Each has its own risk assessment, evaluation plan, and clear ownership. They are assessed under the NSW AI Assurance Framework.

When NESA does not use AI

No automated decisions about people

NESA does not use AI to make decisions that materially affect individuals – teachers, students, applicants, or schools – without human review and approval. This includes decisions about teacher accreditation, school registration, examination results, disability provisions, and any regulatory decisions.

No personal information in public AI tools

NESA staff do not input personal, sensitive or confidential information into publicly accessible AI tools. Personal information is only processed within enterprise systems that meet NSW Government security requirements.

No commercial AI training on NESA's data

NESA's enterprise AI tools are configured so that NESA's data is not used to train commercial AI models operated by third parties. Where NESA considers using its own data to develop or improve an AI capability for NESA's own purposes, this is assessed under the NSW AI Assessment Framework.

No student-facing AI without appropriate safeguards

NESA does not deploy AI tools directly to students. Any teacher-facing AI tools that may be developed by NESA will be designed for use by qualified professionals, with clear guidance on appropriate use.

How we protect information when using AI

NESA's use of AI is governed by the same privacy and security obligations that apply to all of our work. Using AI does not create a separate or lesser standard for information handling.

NESA complies with the:

In practice, this means:

personal information is used only for the purpose it was collected, or a directly related purpose
AI tools that process personal information operate within enterprise platforms with appropriate data residency, access controls and audit trails
NESA conducts privacy impact assessments for AI projects involving personal information, consistent with guidance from the Information and Privacy Commission
staff receive clear guidance on which AI tools may be used for which categories of information
records created or substantially informed by AI are managed under NESA's records management framework in the same way as other records.

How we make decisions about new AI use

NESA does not adopt AI tools without a clear purpose, a risk assessment, and appropriate approval. The NSW AI Assessment Framework is applied to all new AI deployments.

NESA staff can use AI tools that NESA has explicitly enabled without seeking individual permission, provided they follow published guidance. Deploying a new AI tool to a team, procuring an AI capability not already in NESA's suite, or initiating a new AI project requires approval from the Deputy CEO and NESA's enterprise technology lead.

When a particular AI tool is assessed to have elevated or high residual risk under the Framework, NESA engages the NSW AI Review Committee for independent review.

AI in NSW schools

This statement addresses NESA's own use of AI. NESA's role in relation to AI in schools is a separate matter that NESA takes seriously.

NESA sets curriculum and assessment standards, accredits teachers, and registers schools. NESA does not advise schools which AI tools to use. Any NESA advice to schools and teachers about the use of AI is framed to ensure that however AI may be used in schools, it supports the cognitive development of students based on the knowledge-rich curriculum, effective teaching, and assessment integrity that the NSW education system is built on.

Questions and feedback

If you have questions about how NESA uses AI or how your information is handled, please contact: privacy@nesa.nsw.edu.au.

If you believe your privacy has been affected by NESA's use of AI, you can also contact the NSW Information and Privacy Commission.

Version control

Version: 1.0 – June 2026
Approved by: NESA Board, 23 June 2026
Next review: December 2026

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