... Australia is on a pathway towards becoming a leading digital economy. There is widespread recognition that we should walk this path while upholding human rights and responding to ethical risks. This Final Report aims to help Australia meet this challenge.

Australia should pursue innovation that holds true to our liberal democratic values. This means we should approach new and emerging technologies by being consultative, inclusive and accountable, with robust human rights safeguards.

... The recommendations in this Report are informed by the Commission’s expertise, our research and extensive public consultation with the community, government, industry and academia. All views are the Commission’s, and the Commission is responsible for this Report and other Project outputs and statements.

... While there are many pressing human rights issues raised by the rise of new technologies, this Project has focused on two areas in particular.

The first is the use of artificial intelligence (AI) in an almost limitless range of decision making—in areas as diverse as government services, recruitment and the criminal justice system. This Report shows how AI can improve decision making through better use of data, and also how it can cause harm. The Commission sets out a suite of recommendations that respond to this two-sided phenomenon.

The second area of focus is how people with disability experience digital communication technologies—such as information and communication technology, the Internet of Things (IoT), virtual reality and augmented reality. Digitisation affects almost every area of life, and so this Report sets out ways to improve accessibility of the goods, services and facilities that use these technologies for the whole community, including people with disability.