Digital transformation efforts are rapidly accelerating in the public sector. Spurred in part by the pandemic — and now, as state and local governments pivot to meet rising constituent expectations — the technology landscape is changing quickly. Agencies will need to continually expand their capabilities to deliver more responsive service, strengthen enterprise security and drive proactive decision-making that increases their operational efficiency and maximizes the use of public dollars.
But new technology is only effective if it gets used. As governments seek to leverage innovative solutions powered by artificial intelligence (AI), they’ll need to improve their technology implementation strategy.
Recent research from the Center for Digital Government (CDG) indicates agencies face several challenges when it comes to implementing AI-driven tools and other emerging technologies, including identifying AI use cases, establishing an enterprisewide vision for AI, establishing effective AI governance and training staff on new tools.
Several strategies can help agencies overcome these barriers, maximize the use of emerging technologies and harness AI to fulfill their mission.
THE STATE OF AI IMPLEMENTATION IN GOVERNMENT TODAY
In February 2022, the CDG surveyed 106 state and local government leaders to gather their insights on the topic of AI and emerging technology implementation.
The survey found that leaders believe AI can be a key enabler for better government, but their organizations often lack the resources and expertise to effectively integrate this technology into their operations.
Government officials said cybersecurity (59 percent), data insights (43 percent) and constituent services (39 percent) would benefit most from the implementation of AI technologies. Developing smart communities (29 percent), improving public health (27 percent), improving transportation (25 percent) and implementing chatbots (21 percent) were other areas officials said would benefit from this technology.
Priya Singh, a cloud solution architect and data scientist for state and local government at Microsoft, says AI can be particularly impactful for cybersecurity.
“Fraud detection and identifying anomalies within the network is one of the greatest applications for AI,” Singh says. “Since AI can handle a lot of data and compute, it’s possible to detect patterns in historical data, so cybersecurity can greatly benefit when AI is applied in the right way.”
To effectively apply AI, agencies will need to address several challenges, including issues with training. Fifty-one percent of government officials said difficulty finding or funding training resources and professional development opportunities were top challenges when implementing AI tools. Additionally, 41 percent said lack of access to qualified experts is a major challenge when implementing emerging technologies like AI.
State and local governments also will need to develop an effective framework for AI implementation and long-term use, government officials said. Fifty-two percent of respondents said development of a clear framework for AI use and governance is crucial to sustaining these initiatives. Forty-eight percent of government officials said a comprehensive AI strategy and vision within their organizations is necessary, while 42 percent of respondents said more staff training would be valuable to better support long-term use of AI and machine learning (ML).
To overcome these barriers and democratize the use of AI within their organizations, state and local governments need to focus their implementation strategy on better data management and solutions with integrated AI capabilities.
A GAME PLAN FOR AI-READY TECHNOLOGY IMPLEMENTATION
As state and local governments try to become more future-ready, they should consider the following best practices to effectively implement AI:
Improve data management
Data drives AI, so agencies must understand what data they have, who has access to it and how their organization is using this information across programs and services.
“AI is fueled by data, and if data isn’t maintained better and not good quality, there won’t be a reliable AI model we can trust,” Singh says.
A unified data governance solution can enable better data management within government agencies. Microsoft Purview, for example, allows organizations to improve governance of on-premises, multicloud and software-as-a-service (SaaS) data; automates data discovery and classification; and provides a unified map of data assets and their interdependencies1 — all of which strengthens data governance.
Cultivate buy-in
Greater enterprise collaboration will be key to effectively implement AI and other emerging technologies, so IT leaders must engage stakeholders across their organization and seek their input to identify the most impactful use cases within their departments. Singh adds that soliciting employee feedback is also crucial since staff will be using and benefiting from AI-driven technologies in their everyday work.
Establishing cross-functional meetings to engage stakeholders and creating feedback mechanisms like internal surveys can help IT leaders gather input and use these insights to guide implementation strategy.
Craft your technology road map
Agencies should consider adopting interoperable, cloud-based tools with integrated AI capabilities to accelerate AI adoption.
AI and ML services, such as Microsoft Azure, allow governments to take advantage of pre-built AI models. Singh says these services are critical for governments that lack internal AI skills or don’t have a huge team of data scientists.
Some agencies are already taking advantage of these services to advance their AI maturity. The Washington Department of Natural Resources, for example, uses AI and ML to aid in eelgrass detection. Employees previously accomplished this work manually, combing through hours of video to find eelgrass at a specific second or minute in the footage. The process took several weeks or even months. Today, the department leverages Microsoft Azure Custom Vision, which uses AI and ML to improve and automate image analysis, to train its own models and streamline this process.
Agencies should consider prioritizing these types of services and solutions as they develop their technology road map.
Collaborate with a technology partner
A strategic technology partner with deep public-sector experience can streamline AI implementation for agencies.
Microsoft offers intelligent AI solutions that government agencies across the country have adopted to drive business process automation, increase data visibility, advance cybersecurity and improve service delivery. The company also provides guidance and project management assistance throughout the implementation process to ensure agencies reap all the benefits of its solutions. Additionally, Microsoft offers AI training and education for government decision-makers through its Microsoft AI Business School for Government, which features learning modules on topics such as creating a holistic AI strategy and building an AI-ready culture.
Create dedicated resources for AI enablement
Singh says hiring a chief data science officer or including AI enablement within the scope of responsibilities for a chief technology officer can help agencies implement this technology more effectively.
Creating or assigning a dedicated role to oversee AI and emerging technology initiatives can help agencies address operational bottlenecks and ensure these projects stay on track. This resource also can oversee training on new tools, working with department heads and technology partners to ensure employees maximize the use of these technologies in their day-to-day work.
CONCLUSION
Technology will drive the future of government. To get there, governments must have a solid game plan for how they’ll implement new technologies like AI.
Improving data management and developing an enterprisewide vision and technology road map for AI implementation that incorporates feedback from key stakeholders and employees are critical first steps. Collaborating with a trusted technology partner that provides integrated AI tools can accelerate implementation, enable governments to effectively train their teams and democratize the use of AI across their organization.
As Singh says, “AI is among the most powerful and impactful enablers for revolutionizing government.” And with an effective implementation strategy, state and local governments can harness all the capabilities AI offers to realize a modern vision of government.
This piece was written and produced by the Government Technology Content Studio, with information and input from Microsoft.
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