High-risk use case
Government AI uses that could significantly affect people's rights or safety.
How the laws define this
Government and public-interest guidance consistently centers high-risk AI use cases on applications that threaten fundamental rights, individual safety, or access to essential services. Under the Policy for the responsible use of AI in government, as well as the Standard for accountable officials (Policy for responsible use of AI in government), classification depends on potential harms to wellbeing, security, or public trust. However, these frameworks diverge regarding operational triggers and reporting duties. Both the Policy for the responsible use of AI in government and its companion Standard for accountable officials tie risk determination to internal agency risk assessments—supported by the DTA Risk Matrix—and mandate notifying the Digital Transformation Agency to enable whole-of-government visibility and mitigation. In contrast, the Hoja de Ruta para la adopción ética y sostenible de la Inteligencia Artificial (MinCiencias) (Roadmap for Ethical and Sustainable AI Adoption) focuses on public-interest domains like health and social benefits, requiring enhanced oversight and impact assessments without establishing a centralized agency notification requirement.
Synthesised from the 3 statutory definitions below. Each one is quoted in full, with its source.
How jurisdictions differ
What is distinctive in each definition, binding law in force first.
| Jurisdiction | Instrument | Status | What is distinctive |
|---|---|---|---|
| Australia | Standard for accountable officials (Policy for responsible use of AI in government) | In Force | Describes a formal agency risk assessment using the DTA Risk Matrix to identify high-risk use cases, followed by notification to the DTA with basic information. |
| Colombia | Roadmap for Ethical and Sustainable AI Adoption | In Force | Widens scope to explicitly include public-interest domains like public safety, health, and social benefits, emphasizing enhanced oversight and impact assessment. |
| Australia | Policy for the responsible use of AI in government | In Force | Explicitly includes wellbeing and access to essential government services alongside rights and safety as factors triggering identification and notification. |
What it triggers
- In Australia, under the Standard for accountable officials, agencies notify the DTA with basic information when a use case is identified or re-assessed as high-risk.source
- In Australia, under the Policy for the responsible use of AI in government, agencies identify high-risk cases and notify the Digital Transformation Agency.source
Definitions (3)
Government AI uses that could significantly affect people’s rights, safety, wellbeing, or access to essential government services; agencies are required to identify such cases and notify the Digital Transformation Agency when they are identified to enable whole-of-government visibility and mitigation.
A use case that, following agency risk assessment (supported by the DTA Risk Matrix), presents an elevated likelihood or consequence of harm to individuals, rights, safety, security or public trust; when identified or re-assessed as high-risk, agencies must notify the DTA with basic information to support whole-of-government oversight and mitigation.
AI applications deployed in public‑interest domains (e.g., public safety, health, social benefits) that have the potential to significantly affect fundamental rights, access to essential services or generate substantial societal impact, and therefore warrant enhanced oversight and impact assessment.
Not to be confused with
High-risk uses focuses on significant potential harm to rights, safety or wellbeing, while high-risk use case adds procedural identification and notification steps.
High-risk per EU AI Act limits to uses affecting legal status or sensitive rights, whereas high-risk use case covers broader impacts like safety and wellbeing in Australian government contexts.
Questions and answers
What triggers notification for high-risk AI use cases in Australia?
Agencies notify the DTA upon identifying or re-assessing a use case as high-risk via risk assessment or when it affects rights, safety, wellbeing, or services. This supports whole-of-government oversight and mitigation.
How does Colombia define high-risk AI applications?
They cover AI in public-interest domains like safety, health, and social benefits with potential to affect rights or services, warranting enhanced oversight.
What distinguishes high-risk use cases across these policies?
Australia's versions emphasize risk assessment, notification to DTA, and impacts on wellbeing or services; Colombia's adds public-interest domains and impact assessments.
Related Terms
High‑risk use case
Use case assessed as having elevated likelihood or consequence of harm....
high-risk use cases
Public‑interest deployments with significant impact on rights or services....
high-risk uses
AI uses with significant potential harm to rights, safety or wellbeing....
High-risk applications
Uses that affect fundamental rights, health, safety, or livelihoods....
High-risk
Uses affecting legal status or sensitive rights per EU AI Act....