Yes, if AI tools are used in a responsible way.
AI holds the potential to streamline government services—to be faster and more responsive to residents and constituents. In 2020, it was estimated that 150 federal government programs used AI to assist with decision making and to make predictions based upon vast amounts of data and algorithms.
Government AI deployments exist in every sector. In fact, results have shown that AI solutions in general public services are preferred over those provided by humans. Use cases include citizen engagement, compliance and risk management, fraud and anti-corruption, business process automation, service delivery, asset management and analytics for decision-making and policy design.
However, in some cases, the use of AI in the public sector has resulted in unacceptable errors or discrimination, so governments should apply caution when undertaking new AI applications.
Key Takeaways
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1.
AI tools can help governments be more responsive to constituents’ needs.
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Federal, state and local governments have already begun using AI in a variety of ways.
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Governments should apply robust risk management approaches when using AI.
Additional Resources
Administrative Conference of the United States: Government by Algorithm: Artificial Intelligence in Federal Administrative Agencies
City of Boston: Interim Guidelines for Using Generative AI
National Institute of Standards and Technology: Artificial Intelligence Risk Management Framework (RMF 1.0)
Seattle Information Technology: Use of Generative Artificial Intelligence in City of Seattle