19887 (2026). Francisco Hernandez to the Minister of Corrections

19887 (2026). Francisco Hernandez to the Minister of Corrections: How, if at all, has artificial intelligence been deployed in a customer service function in the Minister’s departments, agencies, crown entities and any other bodies that the Minister is responsible for, if any?

Hon Mark Mitchell: I am advised that Microsoft 365 Copilot Chat capability has been enabled for staff within Corrections, in accordance with Corrections’ AI Policy and AI Guidance. The guidance sets out expectations for safe, responsible, and lawful use of AI, including strict controls on the entry of personal, sensitive, or operational information, particularly relating to people in Corrections’ management. At this stage, AI capability is used to support internal productivity and communication-related tasks, such as drafting and summarising correspondence, and assisting with information preparation. While these functions may support responses to customer or stakeholder enquiries, AI is not used to make decisions or act autonomously in customer service contexts. All outputs are subject to human oversight, and in line with Departmental policy, decisions that affect individuals must always be made by staff, not by AI.