Transforming government workflows with AI

Strong citizen-centric services are at the heart of every progressive and innovative nation. To that effect, Australian federal, state and local government agencies have been on a transformation journey, modernising legacy IT systems with cloud technologies and artificial intelligence (AI). Gartner predicts that more than 70% of government agencies will use AI to enhance human administrative decision-making by 2026.

The Australian Government has been at the forefront of the AI transformation, having engaged in a six-month trial of Microsoft Copilot and now exploring an extension to the agreement. While that is a key milestone in itself, enabling every government user with AI technologies that can boost employee productivity and ensure long-term innovation presents an immense opportunity to build a future-ready Australian Public Service.

However, achieving these outcomes is easier said than done. Embracing disruptive technologies like AI demands a cautious and pragmatic approach — especially in the public sector, where handling sensitive data and maintaining citizen trust are paramount. Let’s explore how.

Matching ambition with safe adoption

Empowering every government worker with AI capabilities might sound ambitious, but today’s generative AI (GenAI) tools have a user-centric design that makes it achievable. It allows employees to explore the potential and advantages of AI in a controlled, safe and accessible manner. This is made possible owing to the widespread familiarity and seamless integration across applications.

Government employees often find themselves buried in routine tasks like analysing and reviewing policy documents, attending briefings and drafting documents, as well as managing a deluge of emails and complex reports. By leveraging AI-powered tools and applications, employees can easily transform routine workflows by automating many of these tasks. These time savings can in turn empower employees to reallocate their time towards more valuable and strategic activities.

Imagine being able to quickly catch up on meeting minutes, summarise extensive email threads, or craft tailored emails and messages. AI-powered tools and applications not only manage these activities but also enhance the results — enabling staff to dedicate their attention to tasks that require deeper analysis, informed decision-making and active community involvement.

Besides providing access to AI, Australian public sector organisations are also creating pathways for better AI adoption by providing essential AI education and training, including guidance on crafting effective prompts. This is a crucial foundational step in creating a mindset and culture for continual learning as AI continues to evolve and transform workflows.

Trust and responsible AI

Maintaining the highest standards of trust is key when offering essential services to citizens. This is even more important in the public sector, which prioritises good citizen experiences above all else.

The Australian Government has once again taken the lead in fostering this trust with a new policy for responsible AI introduced by the Digital Transformation Agency (DTA). This framework ensures that government agencies can harness the power of AI while upholding the highest standards of ethics, transparency and authenticity: critical elements when delivering essential services to the public.

Establishing an AI framework that enables AI innovation at scale, without compromising on responsible and ethical standards, is top of mind for many organisations. Confidence levels in Australia have been strong, with research showing that 71% of respondents are confident in their organisation’s risk management processes for enterprise-wide AI. On the flip side, globally, the government sector still has a long way to go when it comes to readiness for responsible AI — 14% of respondents are still in the process of developing specific guidelines and policies for responsible AI and have not yet started implementation.

Having said that, closer to home it has been encouraging to see the Australian Government adopt responsible AI frameworks that ensure government agencies can continue leading with technology — unlocking productivity and economic benefits that, in turn, enable better experiences for citizens.

AI isn’t going to replace human expertise, but it is clear that it will augment what humans do to unlock strategic thinking, community engagement and problem-solving. For the public sector, choosing to adopt generative AI isn’t just about short-term gains; it is also ensuring that government organisations are staying ahead of the curve. We’re excited to continue working with government agencies to create a more empowered and intelligent public sector.

Top image credit: iStock.com/napong rattanaraktiya