Thinktank warns Australia is drifting toward a second robodebt scandal

The Australian government risks repeating the robodebt scandal because of weak transparency and thin legislation around algorithms and artificial intelligence used in official decisions, an independent thinktank has warned.

Catherine Williams, chief executive of the Centre for Public Integrity, said the government was drifting toward a second such episode. She spoke as the centre published a report titled "Computer Says No" on Thursday.

The report examines how federal agencies deploy automated decision-making tools and argues that urgent reform is needed. Among its recommendations are compulsory audits of those systems and a public register listing every automated decision-making process in use.

The robodebt scheme, which used automated income averaging to raise welfare debts, became one of the most damaging episodes in recent Australian public administration. The report's authors point to it as the precedent for their concerns.

The material did not include a response from the government to the report or its recommendations.