NSW Office for AI appoints its first director, looks for 13 more staff

The recently formed NSW Office for AI has appointed its first director and is currently hunting for 13 staff to advise state departments on responsible AI deployment. 

The office will be lead by Daniel Roelink, who previously served as the director of digital strategy, investment and architecture for Digital NSW, the department that the Office for AI operates under. iTnews understands that work is underway to backfill his old role. 

“It will take a period to establish the office, after which our focus will turn to real-world implementation — setting guardrails, building capability, and promoting best practice so AI delivers benefits for all,” Roelink wrote on LinkedIn. 

With Roelink appointed as director, attention will turn to filling the rest of the roles in the office.  

NSW Minister for Customer Service and Digital Government Jihad Dib confirmed in answers to supplementary questions to Budget Estimates, released in late October, that Digital NSW is looking for an additional 13 people to staff the office. 

There's no indication of when the office will be fully operational, however iTnews understands that Digital NSW has been accepting internal expressions of interest to staff the office, and that this will be followed by an external hiring process.

Additionally, a spokesperson for Digital NSW confirmed to iTnews that funding would come through the Digital NSW budget, after Dib said that the office would be funded “within existing resources”.

The NSW Office for AI was unveiled in early September, with a focus on guiding state government departments on the responsible deployment of artificial intelligence.  

Its founding followed a series of recommendations from a state-led inquiry in 2024. 

It’s not responsible for the deployment of AI, and rather takes a supportive role as departments adopt the emerging technology. 

“The office will also support the AI Review Committee (AIRC) which is responsible for reviewing high-risk AI projects proposed by government agencies,” a Digital NSW spokesperson told iTnews. 

“The AIRC is composed primarily of external experts and assesses projects against the AI Assessment Framework to ensure responsible and ethical use of AI.” 

The office has been established with an initial two-year trial to test its impact and role within the public service.