As we integrate intelligent tools to help streamline your workflows, we understand that you care deeply about where your data goes, who sees it, and how it is secured.
We use AI in a small number of places in The Desktop, and we think you're entitled to know what our approach to AI is and how it may affect you.
Comparison Feature
AI speeds up the reading and points you to what matters. It does not write or maintain our policy content — our content and compliance team does.
We use AI for a narrow set of jobs: including the comparing of documents, highlighting where your version differs from a current, vetted version, and explaining what a regulatory change means in practice. It speeds up the reading and points you to the important things to look at.
What it does not do is replace the people behind our Desktop library. Our policy content is written and maintained by our highly experienced content and compliance team. Every comparison runs against criteria we have written, reviewed and keep current.
Your service may now have access to a workplace AI assistant, and you can certainly ask one to compare two documents. What it cannot reliably tell you is whether your policy meets the National Law, the National Regulations or the NQS requirements. Our documents are updated to inform you of what changes are required to keep your documents compliant. That gap is the whole reason our comparison exists.
Safe Use of Artificial Intelligence
Never enter a child's, family's or staff member's personal information into an AI tool, and treat every AI output as a draft rather than a final document.
The Office of the Australian Information Commissioner OAIC's best-practice advice is not to enter personal information, and particularly sensitive information into AI tools. ACECQA recommends you always review, edit, and approve AI-generated text.
Our software approaches AI both ethically and responsibly. Any tools are there for your use but you always retain the ultimate control.
AI responses do not have your service's unique context and cannot replace a human educator's deep relationship with a child. As such, the AI will never have permission to override your documents, create QIP entries for you automatically etc. The human – you – are always in the loop.
A few things we would suggest regardless of whether you use our tools:
- Treat AI output as a draft, never a final document. For example, if a QIP or self-assessment reads well but does not describe what happens in your service, that is a problem no matter who or what wrote it.
- Never enter or upload a child's name, specific behavioural traits, or photos into AI tools.
- Do not enter families' or staff personal information into the AI tools.
- Do not enter confidential or sensitive Service information into AI tools
- Include how staff are to use AI in your policies.
Regulation 168(2)(ha) already requires policies and procedures for the safe use of digital technologies and online environments.
The Desktop Policies incorporate these best practice guidelines. Our Safe Use of Digital Technologies and Online Environments Policy reference these matters directly. For access to our policies you can find out more here.
Our Promise to our Desktop Members
We continuously review our technology partners, run security audits and update our safeguards. AI will never come at the expense of your security.
AI is a powerful tool to complement your daily tasks, but it will never come at the expense of your security. We continuously review our technology partners, run rigorous security audits, and update our safeguards so you can use our app with absolute confidence.
For more specific information on AI within each product or feature, see how we handle your data when you use AI.
Something here not clear?
If any part of this document is confusing, that is our problem to fix. Tell us which clause and we will rewrite it.