A recent report by the CSIRO, Australia’s national science agency, emphasizes the importance of Indigenous leadership in the application of artificial intelligence (AI) within healthcare for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities. The report highlights that while AI holds significant potential to improve health outcomes, its development must be guided by Indigenous voices and cultural knowledge.
Dr. Andrew Goodman, an Aboriginal man from Iningai Country in Western Queensland and a research scientist at CSIRO, led the study. He noted that existing frameworks for AI development often lack specificity concerning cultural diversity, leading to inadequate understanding of how AI can best serve Indigenous peoples. “In Australia, this has resulted in a gap in understanding of how AI can serve Indigenous peoples,” Dr. Goodman stated.
Addressing Cultural Gaps in AI Development
The project, titled “Artificial Intelligence for Healthcare in Australian Indigenous Communities: Scoping Project to Explore Relevance,” aims to address these cultural gaps. Over the course of four workshops conducted between 2023 and 2025, the project engaged with 53 leaders, clinicians, researchers, and health service providers.
Dr. Goodman emphasized the significance of the report as a foundational step toward building responsible AI systems. “Although these are early findings, this report provides a critical starting point for how to build responsible AI systems in technology such as apps and data collection to improve Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander healthcare outcomes,” he said.
The consultations yielded three key priorities for the responsible use of AI in Indigenous health, underscoring the necessity of embedding cultural knowledge in system design. “If AI is to benefit our mob, it must reflect our voices, our data and our ways of knowing,” Dr. Goodman added. He cautioned that without Indigenous-led governance, there is a genuine risk that AI could perpetuate existing biases.
Empowering Indigenous Communities
Dr. Jill Gallagher, a proud Gunditjmara woman from Western Victoria and CEO of the Victorian Aboriginal Community Controlled Organisations, remarked that the project signifies an important shift in national discussions surrounding digital health. “We know that Aboriginal Community Controlled Organisations can use AI as a powerful tool to support and strengthen their work, but it’s imperative that our Mob are in the driver’s seat to ensure true self-determination,” Dr. Gallagher noted.
The project was co-led by the CSIRO’s Australian e-Health Research Centre (AEHRC) in collaboration with various Indigenous health organizations, including the Victorian Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisation (VACCHO), the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Community Health Service (ATSICHS Brisbane), and the Centre of Excellence for Aboriginal Digital in Health (CEADH).
Currently, the research team is utilizing the insights gathered from the scoping project to co-design self-determined AI tools tailored for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health needs. This strategic approach aims to ensure that technological advancements align with the values and needs of Indigenous communities.
For those interested in further details, the full report titled “Artificial Intelligence for Healthcare in Australian Indigenous Communities: Scoping Project to Explore Relevance” is available for download.
