Pathway: AI for senior officers (BPS 20 to 22)

Who this is for

Officers in grades BPS 20 to 22 who decide strategy, budgets and procurement: secretaries, additional secretaries, heads of attached departments and their equivalents in provincial government and autonomous bodies. You are unlikely to use AI tools hands-on every day. You are the person who decides whether your organisation uses them at all, for what and under which safeguards.

No technical background is needed. This pathway is about judgement, accountability and the questions a senior officer should be able to ask with confidence.

What you will be able to do

By the end you will be able to:

• explain in plain words what current AI can and cannot do, what it really costs and where the hype runs ahead of the evidence
• identify where AI could help your department by starting from problems instead of products
• set proportionate safeguards: risk classification, human oversight, clear accountability and routes for redress
• ask the right questions before buying an AI system, including data location, lock-in and testing
• judge whether your department's data is ready to support AI at all
• decide what citizens should be told about AI use and how complaints will be handled
• build skills in your teams and deal sensibly with unofficial AI use
• read a proposal or pilot report critically and make a clear decision on whether to proceed

How it works

There are eight modules. Each takes 10 to 15 minutes and ends with a short exercise and a self-check. Take them in order: later modules assume the earlier ones. There is no sign-up, no test and no certificate.

If you want the everyday basics first or want to understand what your staff are being taught, the operational officers pathway covers practical use of AI assistants in office work. Officers should also read the explainer on the National AI Policy 2025.

It helps to keep the glossary open in another tab as you read.