To ground this work in evidence, Liquid and The Mandarin conducted Australia’s first national survey into public sector attitudes to AI, capturing the voices of more than 600 public servants across levels, sectors and jurisdictions.

The results challenge two prevailing assumptions: that government is risk-averse to the point of inaction, and that AI is a future-tense discussion.

Instead, we see:

Readiness at the individual level: 84% of respondents feel confident using AI tools in their work, a stark contrast to broader public sentiment where trust remains below 40%.
A latent appetite for leadership: 58% are willing to lead or champion an AI pilot, though four in five frontline staff report feeling unsupported by their organisation.
Priorities rooted in the real world: Reducing administrative burden (42%) and improving case responsiveness (25%) outrank speculative uses. These are practical, measurable problems where AI can deliver value today.

This combination of confidence, appetite and grounded priorities represents an inflection point. The workforce is ready. The policy scaffolding exists. What’s missing is organisational focus and permission to act.

Turning vision into value: Making AI real in the public sector

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