Our Annual Reports summarise the operations of the Centre each year. They include information on our research, news, outreach, engagement, and the achievements of our researchers and students.

2024 ADM+S Annual Report

The 2024 ADM+S Annual Report marks the midpoint of the Centre’s seven-year life, capturing a year of major achievements, new directions, and growing influence in policy, research, and public debate on AI and automation. Our early-phase work on ethical, responsible, and inclusive automation began to make a tangible impact, with researchers appointed to key Commonwealth advisory roles, contributions shaping national AI policy, and research cited in major inquiries.

2024 was also a turning point, with the launch of nine new Signature Projects that unite social and technical disciplines to address urgent challenges such as generative AI, authenticity, sustainability, and cultural diversity. Landmark programs on digital platform analysis and First Nations digital inclusion attracted $14.4m in new investment, supporting initiatives such as the establishment of the Australian Internet Observatory and the first comprehensive national study of Indigenous digital inclusion.

View the 2024 ADM+S Annual Report

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Text: Annual Report 2023. Logos: ADM+S and Australian Government Research Council. Background image: An ADM+S member with head scarf facing two other ADM+S members.

2023 ADM+S Annual Report

The 2023 ADM+S Annual Report captures a year defined by the dramatic emergence of generative AI, with tools like ChatGPT underscoring both the speed of technological change and the urgent need for responsible governance of automated systems. The Centre advanced major projects that mapped the reach and impact of automation across Australia, including the landmark NSW Ombudsman report identifying over 270 ADM systems in government, the Australian Ad Observatory exposing hidden online advertising practices, and the Mapping the Digital Gap project providing the first national baseline data on digital inclusion for First Nations communities.

The year also featured the ADM+S Symposium: Automated News and Media, innovative arts-based research translation, expanded training and international placements, and strengthened collaborations with government, industry, and community partners.

View the 2023 ADM+S Annual Report

Text: Annual Report 2022. Logos: ADM+S and Australian Government Research Council. Background image: A group of 3 ADM+S members sitting at a desk looking at laptop.

2022 ADM+S Annual Report

The 2022 ADM+S Annual Report highlights a year of growth, impact, and collaboration as the Centre deepened its cross-disciplinary research into the social impacts of automation and AI while expanding its international partnerships and public engagement.

Building on its mapping of automated decision-making systems across key sectors including news and media, transport, social services, and health, the Centre advanced projects aimed at improving digital service delivery, user participation, and policy responsiveness. 2022 saw the successful delivery of major events such as the first all-of-Centre symposium and the Automated Societies symposium, along with innovative training initiatives including AI and machine learning bootcamps, career pathways programs, and international research placements.

View the 2022 ADM+S Annual Report

Text: Annual Report 2021. Logos: ADM+S and Australian Government Research Council. Background image: ADM+S members standing in front of glass window.

2021 ADM+S Annual Report

The 2021 ADM+S Annual Report reflects the Centre’s first full year of research collaboration, during which it established a vibrant international network of scholars, industry leaders, and civil society partners to address the impacts of automated decision-making on society.

The Centre successfully recruited new researchers, launched ambitious projects across its four research programs (data, machines, institutions, people) and four focus areas (news and media, transport and mobility, social services, and health), and built strong governance, administrative, and collaborative frameworks.

With outstanding leadership, dedicated professional staff, and a growing cohort of emerging researchers, ADM+S has begun to shape a globally significant research agenda aimed at ensuring automated decision-making systems are ethical, responsible, and socially beneficial.

View the 2021 ADM+S Annual Report

2020 ADM+S Annual Report

2020 marked the inaugural year of ADM+S, established to address the social, ethical, and policy challenges of automation at a time of rapid technological change. Despite the disruptions of COVID-19, the Centre successfully launched its governance structures, established nine Australian university nodes and international partnerships, and built a strong foundation of professional and research staff. Key achievements included the establishment of the International Advisory Board and research committees, recruitment of postdoctoral fellows and PhD candidates, and early engagement with industry and civil society partners across sectors from healthcare to media.

With 117 publications, 19 industry and government briefings, and active international collaborations in its first year, ADM+S positioned itself as a global leader in responsible and inclusive automated decision-making research, setting the stage for its training, outreach, and research programs to flourish in the years ahead.

View the 2020 ADM+S Annual Report