Responsible AI at SecondDesk

Last Updated: 10 May 2026

SecondDesk uses AI to help fire protection contractors turn field evidence into AS 1851 compliance reports and quote-ready remedial summaries. This page explains how we use AI, what we don't use it for, and how we handle your data. We keep it simple because you don't have time to read marketing fluff. If anything is unclear, ask us.

1. What our AI does

Our system, BRAIN, takes the evidence your technicians capture on site and drafts two things from it:

An AS 1851 operational narrative for your compliance report.
A structured Remedial Works Summary your office can use to quote.

That's the job. Faster reporting, less double-handling between site and office.

2. What our AI does not do

It does not certify compliance against AS 1851. Only your qualified personnel can do that.
It does not decide whether a defect is acceptable. It identifies what the technician recorded and presents it for review.
It does not run unattended. Every report passes through human review before it reaches the customer.

3. Human review before any report leaves

Every AI-drafted report is reviewed by an authorised person before it is issued. We describe this as AI-assisted, human-reviewed reporting, and that phrase is accurate at every stage:

Technician captures evidence on site.
BRAIN drafts the report and remedial summary.
SecondDesk performs a quality review.
Your office reviews and issues the final report.

If you ever receive a report from us that does not have a human signature behind it, something has gone wrong. Tell us.

4. How we handle your data

The detail on what we collect, where it goes, and how long we keep it is in our Privacy Policy. The short version, specific to AI:

Data residency. Workflow orchestration runs on infrastructure in Sydney. Structured data and documents are stored in business platforms with Australian-region settings where available.
AI processing. AI drafting is performed using leading enterprise AI services under enterprise terms. Data sent for AI processing is not used to train any AI vendor's models, and is not retained by the AI provider for training purposes.
Access. Only authorised SecondDesk personnel can access your data, and only when needed to operate the service or support you.
Encryption. Data is encrypted in transit between systems.

5. Your data is never used to train AI models

We do not use your data — your reports, your photos, your voice memos, your client information — to train any AI model, ours or anyone else's. This is written into our engagement letters, not just promised on a website.

6. AI disclosure on every report

Every compliance report we help produce includes a clear disclosure that AI assisted in the drafting and a human reviewed the final document. This appears in the report footer and in the document's metadata. This aligns with the National AI Centre's guidance on being clear about AI-generated content (November 2025).

7. How we manage AI mistakes

AI systems make mistakes. We design around that:

Where we can use deterministic logic instead of AI judgement, we do. Human review is the safety net for everything else.
Reports go through a structured quality review process before they leave SecondDesk.
If you spot an error in a report we produced, tell us. We log it, fix it, and use it to improve the system.

8. Our broader approach

We follow the practices set out in the National AI Centre's Guidance for AI Adoption (AI6) — the Australian Government's current baseline for responsible AI use:

Clear accountability for the AI system (it sits with SecondDesk's directors).
Understanding what the AI is being used for, and where it isn't appropriate.
Managing the specific risks of using AI in compliance work.
Being transparent with customers about how AI is used (this page).
Testing and monitoring outputs through human review.
Keeping humans in control of every report we produce.

If you service contracts that mandate strict Australia-only AI processing or have specific AI vendor restrictions, tell us before you sign up so we can confirm if we are the right fit.

9. Questions

If you are a current or prospective customer and want to know more about how we handle a specific concern — your client's data, a particular workflow, your insurer's requirements, a vendor security questionnaire, the specific AI services we use — email the founder directly at hello@seconddesk.com.au.

This page reflects current practice. We update it as our systems evolve and as Australian guidance changes.