A roomsize computer equipped with a new type of circuitry, the Perceptron, was introduced to the world in 1958 in a brief news story buried deep in The New York Times. The story cited the U.S. Navy as saying that the Perceptron would lead to machines that “will be able to walk, talk, see, write, reproduce itself and be conscious of its existence.” More than six decades later, similar claims are being made about current artificial intelligence. So, what’s changed in the intervening years? In some ways, not much.

From drafting emails to summarising Teams meeting tasks, and even screening new prospective HR candidates, Copilot for Microsoft 365 is already revolutionising the way I work. Whilst some organisations using Copilot for M365 are already realising the tangible productivity benefits, many have no plan for rolling out Copilot, or importantly, the remediation and readiness work required to prepare their data estate to enable Copilot to make smart, safe and relevant recommendations.  

The perils of legacy technology for government are well known, but in the case of SafeWork NSW they could ultimately lead to a referral to the NSW Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC), the state’s corruption watchdog.