AI agents: enhancing public sector efficiency and citizen engagement

Government agencies often face challenges related to repetitive administrative tasks, overwhelming volumes of data, and inefficient processes that consume valuable resources and impact productivity.

At the same time, citizens are seeking greater transparency from public institutions, more streamlined ways to interact with government services, and easier access to essential resources — without the frustration of navigating complex websites or bureaucratic hurdles.

Leveraging AI for smarter decision-making

Artificial intelligence is emerging as a game changer in helping public sector organisations enhance decision-making, optimise service delivery and boost operational efficiency. AI-powered agents are already demonstrating their ability to process vast amounts of data at remarkable speeds, generate actionable insights, automate numerous workflows, and improve the quality of services available to the public.

Looking ahead, the next wave of innovation involves multi-agent AI systems and a concept known as ‘Agentic AI’, where AI-driven systems will go beyond automation to assist human workers by interpreting complex information, setting objectives, and continuously learning from large datasets to take proactive actions.

What is Agentic AI and how is it different from other AI?

Agentic AI represents a new breed of artificial intelligence that goes beyond passive automation and reactive responses. Imagine AI systems that don’t just follow instructions, but actively pursue objectives, learn from their experiences, and make independent decisions. This is the essence of agentic AI. These systems are designed with specific goals in mind, whether it’s optimising complex operations, enhancing citizen engagement, or streamlining government processes. They act as proactive problem-solvers, anticipating and addressing challenges before they escalate.

What truly sets Agentic AI apart is its ability to adapt and learn. These systems don’t just execute pre-programmed routines; they continuously analyse data, identify patterns and refine their decision-making processes. It’s like the difference between a calculator that simply provides answers and a personal assistant who anticipates your needs and takes initiative. This allows them to become increasingly effective over time, handling more complex tasks and navigating dynamic environments. By taking on these responsibilities, Agentic AI frees up human workers to focus on strategic planning, creative problem-solving, and tasks that require uniquely human skills.

The Agentic AI approach is particularly well suited to addressing the needs of public sector organisations in three key ways.

Improved efficiency

Think of an AI multi-agent system as your team of expert co-workers, available 24/7, with the knowledge you need to collaborate on complex tasks.

Decisions are made in the context of specific use cases. Patterns and trends that traditional methods may have missed are identified, and complex workflows are adjusted in real time as circumstances evolve. This allows human workers to focus on higher-value tasks, representing a significant shift towards augmenting workers with intelligence tailored to their roles.

Agentic AI has the potential to significantly enhance efficiency for public sector workers by automating tasks and providing valuable support in real time. Imagine a knowledge-retrieval agent that can instantly access a vast database of tax regulations, policies and procedures, providing accurate answers to complex queries from both colleagues and citizens. This eliminates the need for time-consuming manual searches and ensures consistent, up-to-date information.

Furthermore, a sentiment analysis agent can monitor the tone and sentiment of callers in real time, alerting the human agent if the caller is becoming frustrated or upset, and even suggesting appropriate responses to de-escalate the situation and improve communication and service delivery. This allows for more empathetic and effective interactions, ultimately improving citizen satisfaction.

Finally, a follow-up agent can automate administrative tasks by scheduling and managing follow-up actions, such as sending emails or scheduling callbacks, ensuring that no task is overlooked and reducing the administrative burden on staff. This frees up valuable time for public sector workers to focus on more complex and strategic tasks that require human expertise.

Improved government outcomes

With careful implementation, the multi-agent approach to AI has the potential to revolutionise public services, delivering transformative outcomes that extend far beyond improvements in efficiency and engagement methods. Decisions that once took days or weeks could be made in a fraction of the time using Agentic AI. For instance, determining eligibility for grants, allowances, or support services, and potentially even tax breaks, could be automated. This not only accelerates service delivery but also ensures fairness and consistency in decision-making.

Moreover, these agents can be used to enhance data interpretation, leading to improvements in areas like fraud detection, which in turn could result in increased revenues to reinvest in public services. By identifying and preventing fraudulent activities, governments can protect valuable resources and ensure they are used effectively. Finally, Agentic AI excels at processing and analysing vast volumes of data to provide actionable insights for policymakers and service providers. This data-driven approach can lead to more informed decisions, a better allocation of resources and, ultimately, more effective public services that truly meet the needs of citizens.

Better citizen experiences

Agentic AI offers the potential to not only increase capacity but also significantly improve the experiences offered to citizens across various public services. By gathering and analysing individual citizen data, it can provide personalised recommendations for services or benefits, ensuring that citizens receive the information most relevant to their needs. This tailored approach moves away from the ‘one-size-fits-all’ model, acknowledging the unique circumstances and requirements of each individual.

AI can adapt communication styles and language based on citizen preferences, making interactions more user-friendly and accessible, particularly for vulnerable groups or those who may face challenges navigating complex government systems. Perhaps most importantly, Agentic AI can facilitate early intervention by identifying patterns that indicate potential issues for citizens, such as financial distress or health risks, and alert relevant authorities to intervene proactively. This preventative approach can help mitigate the severity of problems before they escalate, leading to better outcomes for citizens and reducing the strain on public resources. By simplifying interfaces and providing contextual understanding, Agentic AI also opens the door to improving access to and use of the data sources available across multiple government departments, empowering citizens with the information they need to make informed decisions and engage effectively with public services.

Our observation is that governments are still in the relatively early stages of harnessing, deploying and operationalising Agentic AI. We see the adoption of AI has slowed in comparison to other industries, as the Australian Government focuses on establishing clear policies and guardrails that ensure AI adoption is secure, protects Australians’ personal information, is adopted with transparency and is ethical.

AI agents have the potential to transform public sector efficiency and elevate citizen engagement to new heights. By automating time-consuming tasks, AI systems can significantly improve government operations and decision-making processes. This allows for human workers to focus on more meaningful and impactful tasks. This shift not only enhances the efficiency of public sector organisations but also ensures citizens receive faster support for critical services such as grants, visas and other government assistance, making processes more streamlined and accessible. As AI continues to evolve, the public sector has a unique opportunity to harness its power to create smarter, more responsive and more inclusive government systems that better serve the needs of society.

The policies the Australian Government have now established are fundamental for government — not only to earn public trust, but to ensure they can achieve equitable outcomes that are sustainable for all Australians. The question will now be how quickly government can accelerate adoption, to keep pace with productivity demands and the speed that other countries are investing in AI.

*Lysandra Schmutter is Industry General Manager, Federal Government, DXC Technology, and has over 30 years’ experience partnering with state and federal governments in Australia and Asia Pacific. Based in Canberra, she brings a comprehensive understanding of the region and deep public sector insight that will create momentum and enhance strategies and teams to deliver impactful outcomes for DXC’s customers.

Top image credit: iStock.com/Bangon Pitipong