A strategic approach to AI in government

In my quest to learn how public sector organisations around the globe are addressing digital transformation, I’ve found a universal truth: Government organisations are being asked to do more with less from a resource standpoint while facing heightened expectations for service delivery.

Hanging in this balance between tightened budgets and shrinking workforces, governments are accepting that their mounting needs and challenges cannot be addressed by traditional ways of operating and doing business. The experiences they provide must be of a higher quality than ever before.

The imperative to do better with less is compelling organisations to pursue new avenues, such as AI in government. But they must do so strategically to keep up with the fast pace of change management while maintaining the top priority of constituent trust.

That’s why it’s not surprising that only 27% of government organisations worldwide say their digital transformation efforts have enabled them to humanise experiences, according to ServiceNow research on digital transformation in government. To keep public trust, governments must take a calculated approach to adopting new technology, including AI applications.

Keeping trust front and centre

Despite external appearances, governments play a critical role in tech innovation. The internet, for example, started as a way for government researchers to share information.

AI is another example. About a decade ago, when social media companies started deploying AI-powered algorithms on their platforms, I was head of social media for the U.S. government. I started the first AI for citizens program and advised two presidents on the topic.

Our goal was to use social media as citizen engagement platforms for the release of emergency information to the public.

In government, however, there’s no incentive to be the first adopter. It’s more important for public trust to wait until new technologies have proven their value before embracing them.

Leading the AI charge

AI has reached that point, and government organisations are adopting it. In fact, our research found that 25% of the 100 government executives surveyed in the UK qualify as digital Pacesetters. They’re leading the way in driving transformation across government entities.

What sets Pacesetters apart from others is their ability to rationalise AI, implement standards, and understand the 360-degree experience with deployment, usage, and the effects surrounding it.

The government Pacesetters in our study are realising 1.5 times faster time to value than others on their transformation initiatives. To achieve these results, you can’t just buy AI technology and hope for the best. You also need the right partners and clear policies on responsible AI use and responsible integration.

Boosting efficiency and effectiveness

Along with AI adoption, governments are starting to embrace generative AI (GenAI). Nearly half (42%) of global Pacesetters have invested in this technology. GenAI represents a profoundly practical application of AI. It provides a layer that acts as a concierge to translate one's meaning into action.

By default, GenAI is empowering people to be more effective and efficient—extracting meaning from someone and automatically translating it into a system. This results in faster, more effective services for constituents, employees, and everyone else in the value chain.

ServiceNow was the first company to release GenAI for government agencies in a Federal Risk and Authorization Management Program (FedRAMP) environment through our Public Sector Digital Services product. And we didn’t make it available to governments until we met the strict FedRAMP standards ourselves. That’s responsible AI.

Following the leaders

AI transformation in government requires a certain literacy and awareness, even for nontechnical people. Government organisations would be wise to learn from the public sector Pacesetters in our study, who are:

• Delivering frictionless customer experiences
• Implementing end-to-end IT platforms
• Using the latest security tools
• Providing employees with digital tools
• Breaking down silos

Gain more insights about AI in government in our complimentary Government Transformation Study.