With the digitization of big data and the accompanying flexibility brought about by the progress made in artificial intelligence and automation, public administration now has access to better ways of improving efficiency and overall client satisfaction.

This is very promising considering that the administration of far-flung rural areas which lack basic amenities and data access can greatly benefit from the advantages and opportunities provided by artificial intelligence and big data analytics. Local governments have a great deal of data available relating to the social issues which affect the areas within their jurisdiction.

With the pursuit of better public administration in mind, several government agencies all over the world have greatly benefited from the leverage provided by artificial intelligence technology. These artificial intelligence solutions have the advantage of being more accurate, timely, and objective than their human counterparts. The tremendous potential artificial intelligence has for facilitating, and even optimizing, matters of public governance cannot be overlooked.

AI has the potential to vastly improve governmental monitoring functions. Several of these technologies allow government agencies to recognize technologies which may either improve performance and efficiency or be potential risks. These are also able to identify and contextualize critical content needed for making decisions. Some examples of critical content are insights generated from big data gathered from across large geographic areas. These insights allow government agencies to derive value from large volumes of text, voice, and video data more efficiently. AI can likewise understand localized languages, bridging the gap between English and non-English-speakers and enabling government officials a better grasp of their constituents’ sentiments. This means that trending topics of discussion can be closely followed too. These data-driven findings can then help inform the government about constituent satisfaction or discontent with public services so that they may make the necessary improvements.

 

AI allows for testing of “what-if” and “what-next” scenarios for complex, multilayered, and interrelated real-world situations. This could assist government agencies and organizations prepare for the future as well as for unexpected scenarios like large-scale disasters.

 

AI technologies are also capable of performing clerical work more accurately and truthfully. Some AI technologies are even capable of quickly and precisely converting handwritten forms into digital information and then extracting relevant data. This streamlines the process of data stewardship by a significant margin, as it allows government agencies to focus on tasks that matter more. These also have high enough accuracies to be able to read even the most difficult penmanship. Employing technologies like these can help public and private sector leaders deal with issues, opportunities, and challenges concerning regulations and regulatory functions.

Moreover, AI allows for testing of “what-if” and “what-next” scenarios for complex, multilayered, and interrelated real-world situations. This could assist government agencies and organizations prepare for the future as well as for unexpected scenarios like large-scale disasters. These technologies are able to create digital replicas of large systems, such as entire cities or large industrial infrastructure. The agencies in charge can then test and analyze the outcomes and cascading effects of changes in a complex system-of-systems. This has a wide range of applications when it comes to infrastructure changes, natural disaster planning, large construction projects, military preparedness, information resiliency, and transportation planning.

AI-powered solutions have a wide range of applications in government. On the other hand, they still share a few common disadvantages. For one, a majority of these AI solutions require a steady internet connection as many of these are cloud-based. Given that these technologies are capable of many complex processes, a significant investment is also to be expected not only in terms of product cost, but also in terms of user training and computing infrastructure. The computers on which these technologies run need to be of substantial processing capability if they are to be used to their full potential. Another pressing concern when it comes to the integration of artificial technology, especially in government, is the privacy concern. Collecting sensitive information about a government’s constituents may require many legislative countermeasures as well as a technical review of many ethical considerations. Furthermore, despite the capability for AI integration to greatly augment worker productivity, this also entails the risk of employment loss, since AI technologies are oftentimes more efficient at doing repetitive tasks than human workers.

However, negative externalities aside, cities all over the world have begun engaging themselves in artificial intelligence (AI) and robotics to support or extend the integration of improved autonomous technological capacity into material, institutional, or informational support for the operations and betterment of society. Developing expertise in AI technologies and expanding the culture of technological innovation is even believed to not only lead to economic growth, but also to reduced corruption by substituting technological or technologist action for human (especially political) action. If we are to move forward as a civilization, we definitely need to keep up with the changing times and adapt to the new wave of advancement in science and technology through the integration of artificial intelligence technologies as incredibly valuable tools for the development and betterment of society.