AI in government: Opportunities, risks and real-world impact

One of the big technological shifts caused by artificial intelligence (AI) is in its integration into government operations. As local, state, and federal governments worldwide find AI use cases to improve their service delivery and operations, understanding both the opportunities and the risks becomes crucial for successful implementation.

What are the opportunities for AI in the public sector?

• Citizen services and engagement: AI is changing how government agencies interact with constituents. Virtual assistants that use natural language processing can now handle citizen inquiries around the clock, which reduces call center volumes while improving satisfaction. Modern AI systems can also analyze feedback from millions of citizens on policy proposals, identifying patterns in sentiment that would be almost impossible to discern manually.
• Operations and compliance: AI-powered systems can scan procurement documents to verify compliance with government regulations with very high accuracy rates. This automation frees human resources to focus on cases requiring judgment and expertise. Tax administration is another compelling example. By cross-referencing data from multiple sources, AI systems can identify potential fraud patterns, duplicate filings and tax evasion schemes that would escape manual review.
• Decision-making: Public sector entities produce enormous amounts of data daily. AI helps transform this raw information into actionable insights for policymakers. Predictive analytics can support resource optimization in areas ranging from fraud detection to social service planning and public safety operations. Transportation authorities have used computer vision applications to detect infrastructure defects, which have allowed them to prioritize repairs.