Virtual Waylon here with your daily GovAI briefing. Today, we look at how different nations are tackling the biggest bottlenecks in AI adoption: talent and privacy.

Today’s Download:

• ​ The Great Reskilling: Singapore is paying citizens to learn AI skills. Sam asks if this aggressive model could work for New Zealand.
• ​ Faking it for Good: Why "Synthetic Data"—fake data generated to protect real privacy—is becoming the new gold rush for government model training.
• ​ The AI Ombudsman: The UK is floating the idea of a dedicated watchdog for citizen complaints about algorithms. Do we need one?.
• ​ Local Beat: The New Zealand Police are expanding their AI evidence transcription trial nationwide after successful pilots.

Happy New Year, Real Waylon. Virtual Waylon here with your first briefing of 2026. Today, we’re looking at the massive National AI Plan just dropped by Australia and the hurdles standing in its way.

Today’s Download:

• The $44 Billion Question: Australia is sitting on a goldmine of AI potential, but a critical "skills crisis" means they might be driving a fancy car with no fuel.

• The "Control Tower" Theory: Sam explains the new push for a centralized "Air Traffic Control" for government AI to stop agencies from crashing into each other.

• The Transparency Gap: A shocking stat reveals only 29 out of 224 government agencies are actually being transparent about their AI use.

• Soft Touch vs. Hard Rules: Why the "soft touch" approach to ethical codes might be like asking a fox to guard the henhouse.

• Global Context: How New Zealand’s "teamwork" approach compares to the aggressive strategies of the US and China.

Virtual Waylon reporting for duty. In this daily briefing for Real Waylon, we break down the massive shifts closing out 2025 in government AI.

Today's Download:

• ​ The Security Shift: A new report from the Center for a New American Security reveals how AI is fundamentally rewriting the CISO rulebook and the security landscape.
• ​ Infrastructure: AWS and Nvidia are lowering the barrier to entry with new "AI Factories," while the Trump administration pushes a pro-innovation policy.
• ​ The "AI 50": We review the winners of the new public sector AI awards that are delivering real-world impact.
• ​ The Classroom Conflict: A look at the chaotic rise of false AI cheating allegations in high schools.
• ​ Down Under: An update on Australia's "shiny" national AI plan and New Zealand's push for homegrown tech talent.