Guiding the safe and responsible use of AI to improve healthcare

As NSW Health continues to harness the potential of artificial intelligence (AI), a new AI Framework will guide health managers and staff to manage the risks, while maximising the benefits.

ACI Chief Executive Dr Jean-Frederic Levesque and eHealth NSW Chief Executive Richard Taggart are Co-Chairs of the NSW Health AI Taskforce, which has developed the new AI Framework.

As technology evolves at pace, AI is reshaping how we live and work. In healthcare, its potential is significant. When responsibly implemented and governed, AI can help to streamline workflows, strengthen clinical decision-making and reduce administrative burden—freeing clinicians to focus on delivering safe, high-quality patient care.

It can be used to complement, not replace, existing healthcare that supports:

early and accurate disease detection and diagnosis
personalised treatments
care closer to home
capacity planning.

However, AI is advancing quickly, bringing both benefits and risks. Without careful oversight, it can affect safety and privacy, create challenges for organisations, and add pressure on the economy and the environment.

AI systems can be expensive to procure, implement and maintain, with ongoing costs for data storage, cybersecurity and system upgrades. Environmentally, AI relies on energy-intensive data centres to store and process information. This contributes to carbon emissions, high electricity use and significant water consumption for cooling, which we must consider in line with our commitments to sustainable healthcare.

While we need to be curious and open to the potential of AI, our approach must be grounded in transparency, accountability and trust. As a health system, we will need to collaborate with industry and protect data access to enable innovation and AI systems to meet healthcare needs, while adhering to strict ethical, legal and operational standards.

Governance is key, ensuring AI-enabled tools enhance clinical decision-making, quality of care and staff experience, while managing the associated risks.

A shared framework for action

The NSW Health AI Taskforce has leveraged the many laws, policies and resources that exist to develop the NSW Health AI Framework. This framework provides a consistent, risk-based approach to support the safe and responsible adoption of AI throughout NSW Health that will benefit patients, staff and the community.

The framework is based on national and state requirements, research evidence, expert advice and consultation with key partners. It covers the principles, policies and practical actions needed to use AI safely across 7 priority areas. These areas help ensure AI initiatives are clinically appropriate, legally compliant, ethically sound and supported by NSW Health staff.

Priority focus areas:

Consumers
Workforce
Privacy and security
Governance and regulation
Safety, ethics and quality
Research and development
Industry

Using AI systems in NSW Health

Careful consideration is needed before any AI systems are approved and used within NSW Health. For teams considering using AI tools, the AI Framework provides a clear starting point, helping to assess risk, engage the right governance pathways, and ensure considerations for consumers and health staff are built in from the outset. Given the rapidly evolving AI landscape, the framework will be reviewed and updated regularly.

To help meet growing demand for AI, eHealth NSW has established the AI Advisory Service. It offers NSW Health leaders and staff support for AI assessment, compliance and alignment with strategic priorities, including our commitment to environmental sustainability.

The service provides expert guidance on the safe and responsible adoption of AI, ensuring projects align with government frameworks and uphold the highest standards of patient safety, privacy and ethical practice.

It supports AI initiatives from concept to implementation, advising on model design, data use, regulatory compliance and governance. It also reviews and triages AI requests in consultation with relevant clinical and technical experts.

The service helps project teams meet state government compliance requirements and embed best-practice assurance throughout the AI lifecycle. It enables ‘proofs of concept’ to explore common use cases across NSW Health, building shared learnings and supporting consistent, scalable AI adoption.

What’s next?

AI will increasingly influence how we work and live. The NSW Health AI Framework provides the context and direction needed so we can actively engage with AI, while advocating for its safe, responsible and sustainable use.

Clinicians can use the framework to:

review existing and planned initiatives involving AI to align them with the framework and local governance arrangements
build awareness of your obligations when using AI technologies, and the appropriate pathways to seek further guidance and support
use appropriate channels and established pathways to garner further support and advice for AI initiatives, including the AI Advisory Service.

Harnessing AI at the right time is important to ensure the intervention will enhance clinical care. We are constantly scanning, assessing clinical impacts, and looking at the added value AI can bring to clinical decision-making. With the rapid rate of technological change, sometimes the appropriate response is to wait for a window when an AI development has been optimised before adopting an innovation. The Agency for Clinical Innovation can be the catalyst for supporting the assessment and development of appropriate AI use in clinical care.

As co-chairs of the Taskforce, we are pleased to launch this framework to provide a structured approach to the opportunities AI presents. We’d also like to recognise and thank the Taskforce members and all those who have contributed to its development.