The New South Wales government has appointed Daniel Roelink to lead its newly established Office for Artificial Intelligence, after the state announced last month that it would establish a dedicated agency to oversee the safe and ethical use of AI across government.
The Head of the Office for AI will report to the NSW Customer Service department’s chief information and digital officer Laura Christie, reinforcing the state’s commitment to integrating AI governance within its broader digital transformation agenda.
Mr Roelink announced his appointment on LinkedIn, describing the new office as an opportunity to build on NSW’s strong foundation in digital ethics and to position the state as “an exemplar of AI for good”.
“Below the hype, the opportunities and challenges AI poses is real,” Mr Roelink said. “The Office will build on this foundation – driving a critical focus on automating administrative work, enabling more human interactions, and positioning NSW as an exemplar of AI for good.”
The Office for AI will take a staged approach, beginning with its establishment phase before moving to real-world implementation.
Mr Roelink said the office will focus on setting guardrails, building capability, and promoting best practice so that AI “delivers benefits for all”.
Mr Roelink brings more than two decades of technology and strategy experience, most recently as director of digital strategy, investment and architecture at digital.nsw, where he led statewide initiatives in digital transformation, technology adoption, and investment prioritisation.
He previously held senior architecture roles with the NSW Telco Authority, George Weston Foods, Dimension Data, and Hewlett Packard Enterprise.
The Office for AI will play a coordinating role across state agencies as governments worldwide grapple with the risks and opportunities of generative and decision-support systems.
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