The Australian AI Policy Hierarchy
Which documents bind your OFFICIAL work, and the order in which they apply.
The big idea
As of 2026 there is a single, coherent stack of Australian policy for OFFICIAL-level generative AI. Top to bottom: the Policy for the Responsible Use of AI in Government v2.0 (DTA, 15 Dec 2025) → PSPF Policy Advisory 001-2025 (Home Affairs, 07/10/2025) → DTA staff guidance → the Information Security Manual (ASD) → the Policy Settings for Responsible Use of AI in Defence (March 2026). Crucially, Defence sits outside the whole-of-government policy and is governed by its own Policy Settings.
Key insight: For Defence APS staff and DISP-member contractors at OFFICIAL, the two binding anchors are the PSPF Policy Advisory 001-2025 and the Defence Policy Settings (March 2026). Know those two and where they sit.
This area changes every quarter
The policy stack is evolving fast (HCF reform, GovAI Chat, quarterly ISM updates). This course carries a review date; always check the live documents at defence.gov.au, protectivesecurity.gov.au and cyber.gov.au, and confirm with your security advisor.
What you'll see
The policy stack as a hierarchy, top to bottom, and who each layer binds.
The layers of the stack
From whole-of-government down to Defence. Tap to expand.