10 December 2026: The AI Decision Deadline Executives Can’t Ignore
From 10 December 2026, Australian organisations covered by the Privacy Act face new automated decision-making disclosure obligations under APP 1.7.
If AI, automation, scoring tools, workflow engines or legacy SaaS platforms help make decisions about customers, employees or applicants, executives need to know where those decisions happen and whether they are disclosed.
This episode gives leaders a practical way to find the gap before the deadline.
Map The Decisions Before You Rewrite The Policy
Many organisations can list their AI tools.
Fewer can show every automated or AI-assisted decision those tools shape.
That is the exposure.
APP 1.7 makes automated decision-making a privacy policy issue. But the real work starts earlier.
Executives need a decision inventory.
Send One Email To Expose The Gap
Send this to your General Counsel:
“Can you show me the current map of every automated or AI-assisted decision that affects customers, employees or applicants, and confirm which of those decisions are already disclosed in our privacy policy?”
A clear answer means the organisation has visibility.
An unclear answer means the organisation has mapping work to do.
Challenge The Three False Comforts
This episode breaks down three assumptions that can leave executives exposed:
* Vendor contracts do not replace internal accountability.
* Human approval does not always remove automated decision-making risk.
* Older automation can still be caught by technology-neutral rules.
Build The Decision Inventory From Outcomes
The practical fix starts with the people affected by the decision.
Start with customer, employee and applicant outcomes.
Then work backwards to the systems, data, vendors, workflows and approvals that shape those outcomes.
That is how leaders find the decisions that a tool register misses.
What You’ll Learn
* Why 10 December 2026 matters for Australian executives using AI and automation
* What APP 1.7 changes under the Privacy Act
* Why automated decision-making is broader than generative AI
* How to test whether your organisation has a decision inventory
* Why vendor contracts and human review may not be enough
* How old SaaS platforms and scoring tools can still create disclosure obligations
* How to map automated decisions from customer outcomes backwards
* Why larger organisations may need 8 to 16 weeks to build a usable decision map
Timestamps
0:00 — The boardroom story
0:54 — Welcome to Applied AI Australia
1:09 — APP 1.7 and the new disclosure rule
1:42 — What executives need to know
2:14 — Send this email to your GC
3:55 — Why the answer may be unclear
4:31 — Build a decision map, not just a vendor list
6:52 — Test vendor accountability
8:27 — Test human-in-the-loop approvals
11:50 — Test legacy automation
14:00 — Understand the penalty exposure
15:28 — Start with customer outcomes
About Applied AI Australia
Applied AI Australia helps executives turn AI complexity into business outcomes: growth, margin, time back and better operating discipline.
Each week, Ramon Rodriguez breaks down the AI shifts that matter for Australian leaders, boards and executive teams, so they can stay clear, current and in control with AI.
Need Execution Support?
Acquire Intelligence runs governance-led sprints to help organisations identify, map and manage automated and AI-assisted decisions before the 10 December 2026 deadline.
Visit Acquire Intelligence to close the gap.
Legal & Scope Disclaimer
This episode provides commercial and operational strategy only. It does not constitute formal legal advice. Your obligations under the Privacy Act depend on your specific circumstances. You must obtain independent advice from your General Counsel or external legal team to settle your compliance posture and privacy policy wording.
