Featuring:
Sam Higgins, Principal Analyst
Show Notes:
Public sector organizations aren’t known for being early adopters of new technologies, but the list of AI use cases in those organizations is growing. In this episode, Principal Analyst Sam Higgins discusses AI’s growing adoption and unique opportunities in the public sector as well as challenges that come with integrating AI into public services.
The episode starts with an exploration of how bullish the public sector is on the benefits of AI. Higgins points to an audit the US federal government conducted recently that identified more than 700 AI use cases in the federal government. In addition, he says a recent Forrester survey found that 38% of public sector respondents anticipate disruption from generative AI specifically, significantly more than the 28% that anticipate this disruption in non-public sectors.
Describing the public sector as an “industry of industries,” Higgins says many of the AI use cases seen in the private sector are being explored in the public sector as well, including regulatory risk reduction, fraud prevention, and improved safety outcomes. Healthcare, for example, is a segment where AI holds significant promise. In fact, somewhat surprisingly, recent surveys show that healthcare consumers have significant trust in AI and its ability to enhance diagnostics and improve patient outcomes, which could truly transform public health services in the future.
Integrating AI into public sector services and processes is not without its risks and challenges, however. Higgins highlights the difficulties of bringing AI into existing public sector data infrastructure models, particularly within government agencies with decades-old legacy systems. He emphasizes the need for public agencies to address technical debt if they want to be able to fully leverage AI’s capabilities in the long term.
Throughout the episode, Higgins provides various examples of successful AI use cases in public sector organizations, as well as examples of agencies that pulled back on AI because of risks or challenges encountered.
The episode closes with Higgins giving one final overarching piece of advice to public sector leaders who are considering expanding use of AI, so be sure to stick around for that.
