Autonomous Systems Body of Knowledge
The Autonomous Systems Body of Knowledge is a curated collection of resources designed to help operators, developers and regulators understand the autonomous systems landscape across all domains, covering foundational concepts, regulatory frameworks, standards, and best practices.
Autonomous Systems Body of Knowledge
The Australian autonomous systems ecosystem has advanced rapidly in size and capability over the last five years. To efficiently facilitate safe and trusted autonomous systems in Australia there needs to be a greater level of understanding about autonomous systems, their uses and regulation, together with general key concepts such as assurance and accreditation.
The Autonomous Systems Body of Knowledge aims to provide a baseline level of information for all stakeholders on what are autonomous systems, how are they regulated, and what the issues and opportunities arising are. The Body of Knowledge is focused on the Australian autonomous systems ecosystem with content relevant to commercial and Defence stakeholders in the maritime, air, and land domains.
As summarised in the image below, content in the Body of Knowledge includes:
- General information with details on Australia’s regulatory environment and definitions of key concepts.
- Maritime domain content on current autonomous systems used in the domain, details on industry stakeholders, and an overview of the current Australian regulation framework.
- Air domain content on current autonomous systems used in the domain, details on industry stakeholders, and an overview of current frameworks for assurance and accreditation.
- Land domain content on current autonomous systems used in the domain, details on industry stakeholders, and an overview of current frameworks for assurance and accreditation.
Explore by Domain
Air Resources
Resources for uncrewed aerial systems, including CASA regulations and operational guidance.
Maritime Resources
Resources for autonomous and remotely operated vessels, including the Australian Code of Practice and COLREGs guidance.
Land Resources
Resources for uncrewed ground systems, including safety standards and testing guidelines.
Legal and ethical AI in Defence
Understanding the legal and ethical frameworks surrounding AI and autonomous systems in defence contexts is critical. Resources in this section address international humanitarian law, ethical AI frameworks, and Australian Defence policy.
Key Documents
Australian Code of Practice for Autonomous Vessels
2016 Defence White Paper
ADF Philosophical Doctrine – Military Ethics
Future of Innovation Priorities Roadmap
The Trusted Autonomous Systems Ethics and Law program engages diverse stakeholders to provide evidence-based and practical risk management for ethical, legal, and deployable artificial intelligence in Defence.
