19888 (2026). Francisco Hernandez to the Minister of Customs

Written Question

Published date: 03 Jun 2026

Metadata

Document type:	Written Question
Parliament number:	54
Question number:	19888 (2026)
Question asked:	20 May 2026
Member asking:	Francisco Hernandez
Portfolio:	Minister of Customs
Minister replying:	Hon Casey Costello
Answer received:	27 May 2026
Status:	Question Answered
Reply type:	Reply
Document ID:	WQ_19888_2026
Document guid:	8c894bf4-1413-4191-9e1c-e4d80b0c8443

19888 (2026). Francisco Hernandez to the Minister of Customs: 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 Casey Costello: I am advised that Customs is currently undertaking a trial of Copilot capabilities within its Zendesk customer service platform, which is now in week three. The trial is assessing how generative AI will support staff to draft responses to enquiries, improve consistency, and reduce manual effort. All AI-generated content is reviewed by staff before use, and existing privacy, security, and information management controls apply. The trial will be completed and formally evaluated before any decisions are made about wider deployment.