AI in public services: The key to digital transformation

Generative AI (GenAI) is unleashing exciting possibilities for how work gets done. At the same time, it’s triggered a re-evaluation of established practices and wisdom.

As a result, public services leaders find themselves tasked with leveraging GenAI to help automate and streamline work, enhance efficiency, and reduce costs. However, this reinvention requires more than technological adoption; it demands a cultural shift towards trust and a bold vision for the future.

To better understand this vision and AI in public services, we brought together over 150 customers at the ServiceNow Public Services Forum for a full day of sessions, customer showcases, and a panel of technology and public sector pioneers. Here are four key learnings from the event.

Put purpose before practise

Before embarking on any technological journey, it’s crucial to understand the key goals and have clarity of vision. This can help ensure the deployment of AI and other technologies is grounded in the right context and aligned with an organisation's overarching objectives.

As one of our speakers shared, “Don’t go into a room and say, ‘Let’s talk about AI.’ You need to identify the problems that you need to solve and the goals you want to accelerate towards. The stakeholders you need to convince don’t care about the technology. They care about the impact and the outcome.”

Build a better world of work for everyone

According to UK Parliament, 24% of the UK population has a disability that significantly impacts their day-to-day activity. This means accessibility is table stakes for the public sector.

The Now Platform already goes above and beyond many standard accessibility guidelines. The rapid development of AI allows us to take it a step further, unlocking new ways to help users feel both seen and superpowered.

Alaina B., head of accessibility customer engagement at ServiceNow, introduced attendees to our Dyslexia Plug-in tool, which will be baked into all forthcoming ServiceNow products. We also saw a demonstration of how ServiceNow is using AI to transform the user experience for people who are hearing-impaired.

Save time on the simplest tasks

Using technology to save time resonated throughout the forum. At a live app build session, ServiceNow experts used AI to create a minimum viable product for managing employee time tracking—in just four hours.

AI can save significant time for people managing hours, freeing them for more important work. Likewise, by analysing and summarising multiple sources of employee collaboration and performance data, AI can offer managers greater visibility into their teams, putting them in a more supportive position.

Make it about more than technology

The integration of AI in public services brings significant operational changes—the transformation journey involves more than just adopting new technologies. It requires a staged approach: modernising experiences and processes, reducing operational costs through automation, and reinvesting savings into future business models.

Culture also has a critical role to play in driving successful change. Technology, processes, and people must be interconnected through a shared vision and purpose. This alignment can help ensure that change efforts are cohesive and effective and can help build trust across all levels and departments within that organisation.

To truly harness AI’s potential, organisations must integrate technology in ways that automate manual tasks while maintaining the trust of both employees and citizens. As ServiceNow CEO and Chairman Bill McDermott often says, “Trust is earned in drops but lost in buckets”, emphasising the delicate balance that must be maintained during this evolution.

Traditionally focused on processes, the public sector must now also prioritise user experience to deliver real value to employees and citizens alike. AI presents an opportunity to liberate employees from mundane tasks, allowing them to engage in more meaningful and productive work.

AI can also give organisations deeper insights into the needs and behaviours of citizens using their services, allowing the public sector to shape experiences that are easier to navigate and deliver better outcomes for people.

Maximising the AI opportunity

Throughout the forum, there was a focus on the broader implications of AI, including the skills gap and the need for ongoing education and training. The rapid pace of AI development presents both opportunities and risks, necessitating a continuous review of skill sets to help organisations meet evolving business needs.

We’re only at the start of our journey with AI. At ServiceNow, we aim to foster a culture of partnership, aligning technology with strategic goals, user experience, people, and trust. This holistic approach can help ensure that AI is not just a tool for automation, but a catalyst for meaningful and sustainable change in the public sector.

Find out more about ServiceNow’s AI-powered Public Sector Digital Services.