Fri 19 Dec 2025 Establishing Chief AI Officers for the APS Government Finance (Department), Finance (Portfolio)
A concrete, time-bound APS-wide mandate - agencies must identify and appoint a CAIO by July 2026 or be non-compliant with the APS AI Plan.
Key points
- The APS AI Plan mandates all agencies appoint a Chief AI Officer (CAIO) from existing senior leadership by July 2026.
- CAIOs are distinct from AI Accountable Officials - they lead transformation and cultural change, not just governance.
- A new AI Delivery and Enablement (AIDE) function will coordinate CAIOs across the APS.
Summary
The Department of Finance has published guidance establishing the Chief AI Officer (CAIO) role across the APS, as required under the APS AI Plan. Agencies must appoint an existing senior leader as CAIO by July 2026. The CAIO role is framed as distinct from the AI Accountable Official - where Accountable Officials focus on governance and responsible adoption, CAIOs are expected to drive transformation, identify opportunities, and lead cultural change. The guidance is deliberately flexible, allowing the CAIO role to be combined with CIO, CDO, or policy/operational leadership depending on agency context. A new AIDE function will coordinate CAIOs across government.
Implications for Australian agencies
- Decide Agencies will could decide who within their existing senior leadership will serve as CAIO, and whether the role is combined with CIO, CDO, or another position, ahead of the July 2026 deadline.
- Implement AI governance and strategy leads could download the CAIO information pack and initiate internal scoping of the role to meet the July 2026 appointment requirement.
- Consider Agencies could consider how the CAIO and AI Accountable Official roles are delineated in practice to avoid governance ambiguity or duplication of effort.
Implications are AI-generated. Starting points, not advice.
"Fri 19 Dec 2025 Establishing Chief AI Officers for the APS Government Finance (Department), Finance (Portfolio)" Source: Dept of Finance – News Published: 19 December 2025 URL: https://www.finance.gov.au/about-us/news/2025/establishing-chief-ai-officers-aps The Department of Finance has published guidance establishing the Chief AI Officer (CAIO) role across the APS, as required under the APS AI Plan. Agencies must appoint an existing senior leader as CAIO by July 2026. The CAIO role is framed as distinct from the AI Accountable Official - where Accountable Officials focus on governance and responsible adoption, CAIOs are expected to drive transformation, identify opportunities, and lead cultural change. The guidance is deliberately flexible, allowing the CAIO role to be combined with CIO, CDO, or policy/operational leadership depending on agency context. A new AIDE function will coordinate CAIOs across government. Implications for Australian agencies: - [Decide] Agencies will could decide who within their existing senior leadership will serve as CAIO, and whether the role is combined with CIO, CDO, or another position, ahead of the July 2026 deadline. - [Implement] AI governance and strategy leads could download the CAIO information pack and initiate internal scoping of the role to meet the July 2026 appointment requirement. - [Consider] Agencies could consider how the CAIO and AI Accountable Official roles are delineated in practice to avoid governance ambiguity or duplication of effort. Retrieved from SIMS, 18 May 2026.