Why AI matters for public administration: 4 compelling reasons!

28/11/24 Aziza Chergui Reading time 6 min.

AI is revolutionizing public administration by enhancing efficiency, optimizing resources, and improving service delivery through automation and personalization. It plays a crucial role in crisis response, strategic planning, and advancing digital governance, making it a cornerstone of future e-governments.

AI, widely acknowledged as a powerful tool to boost efficiency and productivity, has made remarkable success, gaining traction across various sectors and activities.

While the private sector has long been a leader in AI innovation, the public sector is now embracing this technology, recognizing the substantial benefits it can bring. As a result, AI is at the heart of discussions on the digital transformation of government services.

What are the main reasons why public administrations should adopt AI, and what advantages can they gain?

1. AI, a catalyst for E-Government Development

AI technologies hold immense potential for advancing digital governance by fundamentally improving the services provided to citizens. Automated processes are replacing manual administrative tasks, boosting efficiency, reducing delays, and eliminating redundancies. This aligns with the public’s right to a modern, efficient, and responsive administration that delivers high-quality services

AI can enhance public services in several ways, including through personalization, virtual assistance, and improving user experience by adapting interfaces to behaviour.

Here are two examples that highlight how AI is improving public services:

In Australia, the Business Registration Service, equivalent to Tunisia’s National Business Register, uses an AI-powered chatbot to guide users through the business registration process, providing real-time assistance and reducing the reliance on administrative staff.
In New Zealand, the Companies Office uses predictive models to identify potentially fraudulent business registrations, ensuring a safer investment environment.

2. AI, a vital ally during crises

In times of natural disasters or health crises, AI has proven to be an invaluable asset, helping governments deliver urgent public services. Togo, for example, successfully used AI during the COVID-19 pandemic through its “Novissi Social Protection Program.” Leveraging learning algorithms, geospatial analysis, and mobile phone metadata, the program identified, targeted, and provided financial aid to the country’s most vulnerable populations.

This example demonstrates the crucial role AI plays in enabling governments to respond swiftly and effectively in situations of crisis.

3. AI, a resource optimization tool

In the wake of the pandemic, most countries still struggle with economic instability while facing increasing pressure to enhance competitiveness and efficiency on limited budgets. AI algorithms are ideally suited to meet this challenge, helping governments boost their efficiency even with constrained resources. rel=”noopener”>Life SG, le gouvernement a réussi à offrir des services plus rapides et plus précis à ses citoyens.

For instance, Singapore has used AI to automate processes such as birth registration and elderly care through its Life SG service, providing faster and more accurate services to its citizens.

Similarly, in India, the “Saagu Baagu” pilot project in agriculture used AI to assist 7,000 chili farmers, significantly improving productivity, quality, and, consequently, farmers’ incomes.

4. AI supporting strategic planning

We are all aware that Data plays a pivotal role in today’s world, and AI’s ability to analyse vast amounts of information makes it indispensable for strategic planning. By identifying trends and patterns in historical data, AI helps predict future developments, facilitating better decision-making.

This predictive capability is invaluable for public officials who must navigate complex environments and make decisions with long-term consequences for their countries. AI-driven strategic management is gradually replacing traditional methods, offering a data-driven approach to governance.

The potential of AI to help public decision-makers fulfil their missions is immense, heralding a new era of strategic management powered by advanced data analytics.

Conclusion: AI will be a cornerstone of future E-Governments

In conclusion, AI offers transformative opportunities for public administration by enhancing efficiency, improving service delivery, and enabling better resource management. Governments around the world are increasingly adopting AI to streamline processes, optimize operations, and respond effectively to crises.

The technology also plays a critical role in strategic planning, providing valuable insights for data-driven decision-making. As public institutions embrace AI, they are better equipped to meet the evolving needs of citizens and deliver responsive, modern governance enabling them to achieve higher levels of development and competitiveness. Ultimately, AI will be a cornerstone of future E-Governments, fostering innovation and sustainable public services.

Shape E-Gov with AI now!

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