Queensland’s transport department is on the defensive. A new report has uncovered alarming ethical risks related to its use of artificial intelligence (AI) when processing traffic offences. For comparison, in 2024, the department performed a phenomenal 208.4 million such AI assessments. This campaign led to an estimated 114,000 non-criminal fines being charged for violations enforced by mobile phone and seatbelt surveillance cameras. Although AI integration has significantly accelerated the process, ethical concerns about the implications have taken center stage.
In response, the Queensland Audit Office (QAO) have raised alarm bells saying that the state transport department is “not adequately detecting” these ethical threats. The report indicates that although AI systems have been utilized to enhance efficiency, there is a notable lack of transparency regarding their implementation and oversight. The department had an impressive 98.7 percent reduction in the volume of cases requiring human review by a third-party vendor. Now, only 2.7 million cases are left for manual review.
Efficiency vs. Ethical Oversight
AI introduction into the traffic enforcement sector has undoubtedly made this department of Queensland’s transport ministry more operationally effective. Even with that, you have churned through millions of assessments. Now, you can move resources that were previously spent on manual reviews to other urgent issues.
This efficiency brings up important questions regarding accountability and ethics. The QAO report makes clear that TMR deserves credit for taking some of the first steps to address these concerns. A major disconnect remains in grasping what it truly means to deploy AI technology into this environment.
“It has taken initial steps, but lacks full visibility over AI systems in use,” – QAO
Now the transport department has a key test ahead. They need to balance the potential benefits of these technological advancements against the need for robust ethical governance.
Moving Forward with Recommendations
TMR Director-General Sally Stannard said the department fully accepted the recommendations of the QAO report. The good news is that the team is already hard at work on making those changes. She stated, “While TMR has implemented a range of controls to mitigate the ethical risks, we will ensure current processes are assessed against the requirements of the AI governance policy.”
The commitment to addressing these ethical risks is an encouraging sign of progress from Queensland’s transport department. Today, the integration of AI technology has already changed their entire operation. Now more than ever, we need to make sure that these advancements happen with ethics at the forefront.
The Road Ahead
Queensland’s transport agency will have to learn how to reconcile technological progress with moral responsibility. They are working to improve their processes and strengthen their oversight mechanisms. Bringing communities and stakeholders to the table to mitigate and guide AI’s ethical deployment and usage will be key to ensuring their success.
