Australia’s new military AI policy comes at a crucial time. The challenge is turning it into practice
Publish Date: 2026-03-24 22:53:00
Source Domain: theconversation.com
Artificial intelligence (AI) is playing a central role in the ongoing Middle East war. The United States, for example, has confirmed it is using the technology to identify potential targets and accelerate decision-making.
This is part of a growing trend. And in some cases it’s leading to mounting civilian deaths.
Against this backdrop, Australia’s Department of Defence has just released a new AI policy.
The policy aims to govern the Australian military’s use of AI. So what does it include? And how does it compare to the military AI policies of other countries?
Three main requirements
Australia’s policy establishes three overarching requirements for the Department of Defence’s use of AI.
Firstly, the use of AI must comply with Australian law and international obligations.
Secondly, the use of AI must be underpinned by individual accountability and bounded by consideration of impacts on people. It must also be explainable, reliable and secure, and designed to mitigate unintended bias and harm.
Thirdly, any risks associated with the use of AI must be managed with proportionate control measures, such as testing, training and evaluation.
The policy’s emphasis on proportionate controls is notable.
AI is not a standalone item. It is an enabling technology with many applications that can be embedded across a range of different military functions, such as targeting, logistics, training and maintenance – each raising different risks.
The policy aims to cover all AI technologies, from chatbots to the most advanced “frontier” general-purpose AI models.
The approach echoes the Australian government’s Policy for the Responsible Use of AI in Government, which took effect in September 2024.
That policy explicitly carves out the defence portfolio and national intelligence community. The new policy fills that gap.
Thin on details
The policy says little about how the Army, Navy and Air Force – or other defence entities such as…
