AI Transparency Statement

This statement outlines the Reserve Bank of Australia’s (RBA’s) approach to the adoption and use of Artificial Intelligence (AI).

How the RBA uses Artificial Intelligence

The RBA’s vision is to be an AI‑enabled central bank, in which the safe and responsible use of AI empowers staff to innovate and manage knowledge to support decision‑making, productivity and operational resilience. The RBA is putting this vision into practice through approved tools and processes, applied within clear guardrails and with proportionate checks and human oversight.

Definition and Scope of AI at the RBA

For the RBA’s work, an AI system is a machine-based system that, for explicit or implicit objectives, infers, from the input it receives, how to generate outputs such as predictions, content, recommendations, or decisions that can influence physical or virtual environments. Different AI systems vary in their levels of autonomy and adaptiveness after deployment. The term encompasses systems that use established AI techniques (sometimes referred to as ‘machine learning’) as well as more advanced forms of AI, such as generative AI.

The following are outside the scope of this definition and therefore outside the RBA’s AI Governance Framework:

• Statistical, econometric and macroeconomic models that follow predetermined specifications and do not adapt or update autonomously after deployment.
• Deterministic or rule-based models that do not infer new patterns from data.
• One-off analytical work – including exploratory data analysis, ad-hoc modelling, or research activities that do not constitute a system deployed for repeated or autonomous use.

Classification of the RBA’s AI use

This section describes how the RBA currently uses AI by reference to the Australian Government’s AI use classification framework.^[1]

• Usage patterns:
  • Workplace productivity (e.g. drafting, summarisation and document triage)
  • Analytics for insights (e.g. interrogating large text sets to surface trends for staff review)
• Domains:
  • Corporate and enabling (internal operations and knowledge management)
  • Policy and legal (analysis supporting staff who advise decision makers)

Public interaction and impact

At this time, the RBA does not deploy AI that members of the public directly interact with. The RBA also does not use AI, or its output, in ways that significantly impact the public, without human review. Where AI assists internal analysis related to external stakeholders (for example, summarising public submissions), outputs are reviewed by staff before being relied on or communicated.

Monitoring and governance

The RBA governs AI across its lifecycle (design, development, procurement, deployment and use) through its AI Governance Framework, AI Policy, and Artificial Intelligence Guidelines. These set clear guardrails for approved tools, record keeping, assurance, and incident management.

• Accountable Official: The Head of Knowledge Management is the RBA’s AI Accountable Official.
• Oversight: The AI Committee provides strategic oversight; the AI Advisory & Assurance Group supports assurance that initiatives are technically sound, secure, effective, ethical and operate within the RBA’s requirements concerning data, information and cyber security, privacy obligations, and relevant risk management frameworks and policies, from proposal through implementation and ongoing use.
• Controls: Staff must use approved AI tools only (that is, off‑the‑shelf products or approved AI features within existing software products); internally developed AI applications (custom-built solutions developed for specific use cases, including using vendor tools or models) are recorded in an AI system register; third party AI tools undergo due diligence (including vendor controls and contractual safeguards); AI risks are defined in the RBA’s risk taxonomy and governed by the Risk and Compliance Management Framework; and incidents follow the RBA’s incident management process.

Compliance with legislation and regulation

The RBA’s use of AI must comply with applicable laws and regulation.

Transparency and communication

When AI influences analysis that informs internal or external communications, the RBA expects clear disclosure and the maintenance of documentation that supports explainability and traceability. Staff are trained in the responsible use of AI and must review AI outputs for accuracy and quality before use.

Statement review and updates

The RBA will review this transparency statement at least annually, and when there is a significant change to the RBA’s approach to AI or when new factors materially affect this transparency statement’s accuracy.

Contact

For enquiries about the RBA’s use of AI, please contact: RBAInfo@rba.gov.au