Overview

The Australian Compliance Institute (ACI) was one of the first adopters of Survey Matters AI Skills Readiness Index - a research framework designed to measure AI use, capability, organisational support and future learning needs in different professions and industries.

At a time when AI adoption is accelerating across the economy, training, governance and role-specific guidance are not always keeping pace. For a profession built on accountability, risk management, ethical practice and regulatory judgement, the ACI wanted to know where members are confident, what the gaps are, and how they could help the profession use AI well.

What Survey Matters Delivered

The AI Skills Readiness Index explored how often ACI members were using AI, the tasks they were using it for, the quality of AI-assisted outputs, their confidence across key skill areas, and the level of support provided by employers. It also examined responsible use behaviours, including privacy, disclosure, bias evaluation, accuracy checking and alignment with professional or organisational guidelines.

Survey Matters delivered the full research program, including research design, questionnaire development, data collection, analysis and reporting. Outputs included a detailed research report, a board briefing and a member briefing, giving the ACI evidence it could use for strategic planning, member communication, professional development and advocacy.

What the Research Clarified

The research showed that AI is already embedded in compliance work. Most members are using AI regularly, particularly for research, drafting, summarising documents, reporting and communications.

However, the findings also showed that members are using AI before the training has caught up. Many members are learning informally, often without role-specific training or clear organisational support. The profession’s overall AI Skills Readiness score showed that most members are still developing their capability, rather than operating at an advanced level.

Importantly, the research did not suggest that compliance professionals are starting from scratch. The strongest capability area was ethics, safety and governance, reflecting the profession’s existing strengths in responsible decision-making, risk awareness and professional accountability. Members are already well placed to understand the importance of human judgement, transparency, privacy and appropriate safeguards.

The gap is not one of professional judgement. It is a gap in practical, compliance-specific AI capability.

This distinction matters. It shows that the ACI’s role is not to introduce members to AI, but to help them translate their existing governance and ethical strengths into confident, practical and profession-specific AI use.

The Strategic Value for the ACI

The research gave the ACI a clear evidence base to guide its next steps. It identified where AI is already delivering value for members, particularly in routine and documentation-heavy tasks. It also highlighted where human judgement remains critical, especially in investigations, risk oversight and more complex compliance decisions.

The results pointed to a clear opportunity for the ACI to lead in profession-specific AI training, responsible use guidance and capability development. Members want to learn more, but they need support that reflects the realities of compliance work, not generic AI advice.

The findings also give the ACI a stronger platform for engagement with regulators, government and industry stakeholders on responsible AI adoption in compliance.

Outcome

The AI Skills Readiness Index has provided the ACI with independent evidence on how AI is being used across the compliance profession, where members are confident, and where further development is needed.

The research gives the ACI a platform to lead that conversation based on what compliance professionals already do well - governance, ethics, accountability and risk.

For associations, it shows why measuring member readiness matters before gaps become risks. With clear evidence, associations can support members through change, build relevant professional development, and strengthen their role as the trusted voice of their profession.