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Defence & Government

AI for Defence

From AI foundations to the Australian defence policy stack — a four-hour intensive that equips Defence APS staff, DISP-member contractors and security professionals to use AI safely, productively and in full compliance with the PSPF and ISM.

4 hours
8 Modules
All Levels
OFFICIAL Level
Start Learning Preview Curriculum FAQ View Pitch

What You’ll Learn

Eight focused modules covering AI fundamentals and the defence-specific policy, security and compliance landscape.

Understand AI Deeply

Grasp how LLMs, tokens and neural networks work — foundational knowledge for making informed decisions about AI in your organisation.

Master Prompt Engineering

Write effective prompts using the Act-Explain-Please framework to get consistently excellent results from any approved AI platform.

Navigate the Policy Stack

Confidently identify which AI tools are approved, what data can be entered, and how the PSPF, ISM and Defence Policy Settings apply to your work.

Detect Shadow AI

Recognise unsanctioned AI use in your team, run a structured self-assessment, and apply the right controls before a breach occurs.

Protect Classified Information

Apply redaction discipline and prompt hygiene to ensure OFFICIAL: Sensitive and above never enters an unauthorised AI tool.

Evaluate AI Vendors

Use a structured checklist covering IRAP, HCF certification, data residency, training opt-out and retention to assess any AI provider.

Lead AI Adoption

Draft your organisation’s AI usage policy aligned to ISM-2074 and champion safe, productive AI use across your team.

Apply the Daily Checklist

Leave with a five-point checklist — classification, approved tool, prompt hygiene, output verification, incident response — for every AI interaction.

Course Curriculum

8 modules across 4 hours — from AI foundations to your daily compliance checklist.

Part 1 — AI Foundations (2 hours)
01

AI Foundations & Mental Models

6 lessons
What AI actually is (and isn't)
How large language models work
Tokens, context windows and temperature
Hallucinations and limitations
Model comparison: ChatGPT vs Claude vs Gemini vs Copilot
Building your AI mental model
02

Prompt Engineering

6 lessons
The Act-Explain-Please framework
Prompt scaffolding techniques
Chain-of-thought prompting
Few-shot and zero-shot strategies
Advanced prompt patterns
Prompt library: Defence-ready templates
03

Thinking With AI

5 lessons
AI as a thinking partner
Decision-making frameworks
Brainstorming and ideation with AI
Analysis and strategic planning
Critical evaluation of AI output
04

AI Workflows & Productivity

6 lessons
Chat vs workflow vs agent
Building multi-step AI systems
Microsoft 365 Copilot essentials
Document and email automation
AI for meetings and collaboration
Practical automation projects
Part 2 — AI for Defence (2 hours)
05

The Australian AI Policy Stack

5 lessons
The policy hierarchy: DTA → PSPF → Defence Policy Settings
Defence AI Centre (DAIC) and governance
The classification boundary: OFFICIAL vs OFFICIAL: Sensitive
ISM-2074 and the AI usage policy requirement
DISP membership and AI obligations
06

Data Sovereignty & Approved Providers

5 lessons
The 18 approved providers under PSPF Advisory 001-2025
Where your data actually goes: Copilot, ChatGPT, Claude
Consumer vs enterprise: the data-handling delta
The “data residency is not sovereignty” distinction
AUKUS, Five Eyes and cross-border data flow
07

Shadow AI & Data Breaches

6 lessons
What shadow AI is and why it matters
Australian prevalence: the numbers that should alarm you
Case study: NSW Reconstruction Authority (March 2025)
Case study: Samsung semiconductor leak (April 2023)
Detection and prevention: DNS, DLP, SaaS discovery
Building your team’s AI usage policy
08

Safe Usage, Adversarial Risks & Your Checklist

5 lessons
Prompt hygiene: what must never enter a public AI tool
Redaction and sanitisation discipline
Adversarial risks: prompt injection, model inversion, IP exposure
Evaluating an AI vendor’s security posture
The five-point daily checklist

Who This Course Is For

Defence APS Staff

Public servants in the Defence portfolio working at OFFICIAL level who use or plan to use AI tools in their daily work.

DISP-Member Contractors

Industry professionals working on Defence contracts who need to understand AI obligations under DISP and the PSPF.

Security Officers & CISOs

Chief Security Officers, CISOs and security advisors responsible for AI governance and incident response in Defence-adjacent organisations.

Procurement Officers

Professionals evaluating AI vendors and needing to understand HCF certification, IRAP assessments and FOCI requirements.

Why This Matters Now

The numbers paint a clear picture: AI adoption in government is outpacing policy, training and governance.

25%

of Australian public servants already use unauthorised AI tools at work

Mandarin / Liquid Interactive, 2025

92%

of public servants surveyed had received no AI training

CPSU, October 2024

81%

say their AI tool use was entirely self-initiated

CPSU, October 2024

2,031

people affected by the NSW Reconstruction Authority ChatGPT data breach

NSW Government, October 2025

Rupert Chesman

Your Instructor

Rupert Chesman

AI educator, filmmaker and author of The AI-Native Playbook. Rupert has taught over 700 students this year across corporate workshops, government agencies and defence-industry organisations — turning complex AI concepts into practical, immediately applicable skills.

700+ Students This Year
70+ Countries
200+ Workshops
Defence + Government

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I need any technical background to take this course?

Not at all. The course assumes no prior AI experience. The first two hours build a solid foundation from scratch — covering what AI is, how to prompt effectively, and how to think critically about AI output. The defence-specific modules layer on top of that foundation with clear, practical guidance.

Is this course classified or restricted?

No. All course content is drawn from publicly available policy documents, open-source research, and published case studies. The course is designed at the OFFICIAL level and does not contain or require access to any classified material.

Which AI tools does the course cover?

The course covers the approved enterprise tools most relevant to Defence: Microsoft 365 Copilot, ChatGPT Enterprise, Claude for Work, and GovAI Chat. It also explains the difference between consumer and enterprise tiers and why that distinction matters for data security.

How current is the policy content?

The course is anchored to the PSPF Policy Advisory 001-2025 (October 2025), the Defence Policy Settings for Responsible Use of AI (March 2026), and the ISM December 2025 release. All materials carry a “reviewed on” date, and the course is updated quarterly as new policy releases, ISM controls and approved providers change.

Can this be delivered as a live workshop?

Absolutely. The four-hour structure is designed for instructor-led delivery with built-in exercises, case studies and group discussion. Contact us to arrange a workshop for your team or organisation.

Is the course relevant for Defence industry SMEs?

Very much so. Module 8 specifically addresses DISP-member contractors and includes a practical workshop where participants draft a one-page AI usage policy aligned to ISM-2074. The course covers obligations at every level — from Entry through to Level 3 DISP membership.

What practical takeaways will I have?

You’ll leave with three tangible artefacts: a tool-decision flowchart (“Can I use this AI tool for this task?”), a five-point daily checklist for safe AI use, and a draft AI usage policy for your organisation. Plus a library of defence-ready prompt templates.

How does this compare to the Mastering AI Tools course?

The first two hours cover the same AI foundations as Mastering AI Tools — prompt engineering, critical thinking, workflows. The second two hours are entirely unique: Australian defence policy, classification boundaries, shadow AI risks, approved providers, vendor evaluation, and compliance with the PSPF and ISM. Think of it as the AI skills course built specifically for the defence and national security context.

Ready to Start?

Equip yourself and your team with the AI skills and policy knowledge needed to work safely and productively in the defence environment.

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