Expert-Grounded AI
Committed to responsible AI within Australian education and training
Turning research and expertise into the intelligence behind AI
Expert-grounded, not just plausible-looking on the surface while harming learning behind the scenes
The Problem
Australian Vocational Education and Training (VET) operates within one of the most complex regulatory environments in the world — spanning nine jurisdictions, multiple standards and contractual frameworks, and significant cultural and community obligations. Yet the AI and technology products being sold into this sector are built by suppliers with limited regulatory expertise, limited research basis, and typically no accountability for what happens to learners when their products get it wrong.
The result is AI that speeds up bad practice. Providers don't know who to trust. Educators skip the steps that matter. And when learners pay the price, so does the organisation — through lower completions, reputational damage, lost income and potentially cancellation of registration and certifications issued.
There is a long history in Australian VET of providers being caught by poor products and practices from suppliers. AI is accelerating that risk significantly.
Responsible AI in this sector requires more than good intentions. It requires regulatory grounding, evidence-based practice, and genuine accountability.
Expert-Grounded AI is the solution (EGAI)
Expert-Grounded AI (EGAI) is an independent initiative that brings together regulatory expertise, evidence-based learning design research, and cultural and community obligations. Encoding domain expertise directly into AI agent architecture means the agent doesn’t just reference good practice, it reasons from it, procedurally, every time.
EGAI works across both sides of the equation: the tech solutions being built, and the providers implementing them.
Participants in the EGAI initiative commit to implementing AI in ways that are responsible, transparent, evidence-informed and centred on quality educational and organisational outcomes.