Kerry Davies: Public Service Association national secretary on the increase in public servants using AI

New reports reveal AI is seeing wider use across public and community services.

The Public Service Association surveyed more than 900 of its members, with 55 percent of respondents saying AI is used at their place of work.

Of this number, 45 percent admitted using it personally.

PSA national secretary Kerry Davies says the increased use of AI isn't the key issue here - but the lack of training and guardrails is cause for concern.

"AI in itself isn't so much the issue - it's the use of AI without proper supports and without proper training."

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
Turns out and uncompletely unrelated news, turns out our public
servants are loving the old AI. Almost half of them
forty five percent are using AI and their work. But
the problem is very few have any rules at work
around how to use it now. Kerrie Davis is the
Public Service Association National Secretary. Kerry, Hello, Hi, Hi? Does
this worry you the use of the stuff?

Speaker 2 (00:23):
What worries me is not so much the use of
it except without proper guardrails, without safeguards, without training. AI
in itself is not so much the issue. It's the
use of AI without proper proper supports and proper training. Yeah.

Speaker 1 (00:43):
I mean, because what do these guys have closed AI
or are they just using chat GPT? Do we know.

Speaker 2 (00:50):
There's a whole mixture, but chet GPT is the most
common venoes.

Speaker 1 (00:55):
So is it possible that they are uploading sort of
like confidential government document and to chat GPT.

Speaker 2 (01:02):
I wouldn't think so.

Speaker 1 (01:04):
No, So what are they doing more? What's the concern? Then?
If they're not uploading private and confidential stuff, then what's
the problem.

Speaker 2 (01:12):
Well, there are still problems about the accuracy of information
that's been utilized through the use of AI and making
sure that you're using the right platform for the right
platform tool for the right sort of support if you.

Speaker 1 (01:30):
Like, Okay, give me an example you might be worried about.

Speaker 2 (01:34):
So one is in terms of when we're talking about
recruitment exercises or any sort of collation of information, there
needs to be guardrails put in place. In terms of
gender and racial bias, there's issues of privacy, there's also
issues of accuracy, and there's also the impact on the

(01:59):
quality of services, particularly when we're aware that New Zealand's
vs community and needs to be tailored to match the
context in which it's been used and the different population
groups in which we're working with. So we do have
an AI framework for the public service, and that's not

(02:22):
a bad framework, but what it appears has happened is
that there hasn't been implemented into workplaces. So it's about
translating that framework into workplaces so that people get appropriate
support and training.

Speaker 1 (02:37):
Harry, you've lost me. All I'm marrying is a lot
of words. I don't even know what this means in
real life. What's the problem what we have? So let's
say I don't know. Let me say let's say I'm
pick a department, Kerry pick a department. Let's say I'm
working at the Treasury and I'm going to put into
Treasury what in to my little chat GPT, what is

(03:02):
the impact of I don't know, two point five percent
inflation on the population. What's the problem? And it pumps
out an answer.

Speaker 2 (03:12):
I mean that happens all the time already. You don't
need AI to do that sort of work. The sort
of work that AI has been used for is helping
transcribe and summarize notes. It's also about ensuring that the
right tone might be used in emails or staff communications.

(03:34):
It's also about if you're working in checking code and
problem solving, coding and designer shows, using ALC.

Speaker 1 (03:42):
All of the stuff that you feel particularly dangerous to me?
Are we potentially making rules if what you're arguing is
we need to make some rules around AI. Are we're
potentially just making rules for the sake of making rules?
Should we not just let these very competent and often
university educated people just use their judgment.

Speaker 2 (03:58):
Well, they are using their judgment, but it's a matter.
You can't like any technology. We've had all sorts of
technology changes over the years, and we've always had appropriate
support and training to make sure that we get the
best out of that technology.

Speaker 1 (04:14):
Carrie, thank you for you time. Appreciate it. Mate. That's
Carry Davis, who's the Public Service Association National Secretary. For
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