Capability 4.2.3.1

Civil Society Adoption

Definition

The extent to which not-for-profits and community organisations adopt AI to conduct their activities.

Examples

Adoption of AI products and services by civil society organisations, including investments, projects or services to increase access (including funding, datasets, etc).

Indicators

Statistics on AI adoption in the not-for-profit sector

National AI Plan

PLAN COMMITMENT

Moderate commitment

Emphasises importance of inclusive AI deployment and public benefit use cases, including collaboration between NAIC, Infoxchange, philanthropy and industry to support not-for-profit adoption (Action 6). Moderate commitment by government in the plan aligns with recommendation to close this critical gap, although greater attention is recommended.

Stocktake

Australian Research Council (ARC) – AI Research Grants & Linkage Projects
National-scale HPC for AI model training; offer allocations for research institutions (and, increasingly, NGOs via collaborative grants). https://pawsey.org.au/
Australia’s artificial intelligence ecosystem: growth and opportunities. National Artificial Intelligence Centre, Department of Industry, Science and Resources. June 2025. https://www.industry.gov.au/sites/default/files/2025-06/australias-artificial-intelligence-ecosystem-growth-and-opportunities-june-2025.pdf

Is the Stocktake missing evidence?

Share additional information for potential future Assessments