Public sector leaders want tangible results from AI and machine learning (ML). The challenge is finding ways to go beyond pilot projects and proofs of concept.
Mission alignment, or adapting technology to real-world priorities, can support progress beyond experimentation. A three-pronged approach that focuses on current challenges, promising AI benefits, and proven technology best practices can help move agencies toward AI collaboration.
Common AI challenges
lack of direction
The potential of AI solutions can pull your organization in different directions, and choosing where to start can feel like a gamble. “Managers too often lead with the how, not the why,” says Alan Shirk, senior fellow at the Center for Digital Government (CDG) and former executive director of the Institute for Public Technology. “They get bogged down in governance issues and lose sight of what they’re really trying to accomplish.” Organizations need to start by identifying repetitive tasks that consume a lot of staff time. As your staff sees how AI can streamline their operations and free up more time for urgent tasks, you’ll find excitement about new use cases.
technical limitations
Organizations also need flexible strategies to support AI adoption. “There’s a lot of hardware out there that can’t handle AI,” says Daniel Gall, chief technology strategy officer for U.S. state and local government and education at HP. “It’s not enough to deploy AI once and expect it to last for years.” A number of new central processing chipsets and graphics processing units powered by AI will enable IT teams to implement servers, workstations, and laptops that are optimized for specific use cases. Gohl recommends defining user personas to ensure staff have the best equipment for their needs.
increasing costs
Cloud-hosted AI technology raises significant cost and security concerns. Popular apps that create content also generate expensive round-trip traffic to remote cloud services. As these apps become more popular, cloud costs are likely to balloon. “The place for generative computing is not in the cloud, but at the network edge,” Gohl said.
Cloud-hosted AI can introduce network delays that degrade the performance of new AI apps such as law enforcement and utility management that use real-time data streams. Some government agencies require AI apps to remain on-premises to protect sensitive data. Addressing these challenges requires a strategic, results-driven approach to AI that aligns technology investments with mission priorities while balancing performance, cost, and security.
Mission-centric AI opportunities
Hardware designed specifically for AI helps government agencies move workloads to the network edge to save on cloud costs and optimize performance. New workstations and laptops with neural processing units can run more AI workloads locally, improving the user experience and helping manage security risks.
Workflow optimization
High-impact AI use cases streamline operations, improve agency staff productivity, and simplify interactions with the public. For example, data entry forms are prime candidates for AI automation. AI can also improve the efficiency of general counsel offices and risk management teams. Leverage AI to help staff get the relevant information they need from various documents and emails, reducing the time they spend manually sifting through spreadsheets and meeting notes. “Standard operating procedure manuals within organizations should be migrated to AI interfaces as soon as possible,” says Gall. With AI chatbots trained on these manuals, your staff can spend more time solving problems that AI can’t manage.
Strengthen collaboration
AI-based solutions facilitate a more comprehensive and consistent collaboration experience. Translation narrows the communication gap, and algorithms enhance lighting and sound. AI systems can share learning models across multiple groups, making AI enhancements accessible to more people. “Remote and hybrid work has exposed long-standing inequalities in who gets to speak, who gets heard, and who gets to influence outcomes,” says Sean McSpadden, a CDG senior and longtime IT executive in Oregon. AI automatically records and transcribes meetings, making it easy for attendees to follow up on action items, see deadlines, and create to-do lists.
AI alignment best practices
Create excitement. Choose small projects that provide quick and easily quantifiable value and show your staff how the tool can help them.
Foster innovation. “Public sector leaders need to inspire a spirit of professional play with AI,” says Gall. “That’s the only way people will get used to its implementation and understand its limitations.”
experiment. Encourage your staff to explore new ideas, but put strong guardrails around experimentation. We will provide regular training opportunities and promote them throughout the agency.
Be transparent. Scrutinize your technology partner’s policies and governance, especially the prevention of training AI models with public data. Governance requires clearly defined processes for storing, transmitting, and deleting data. “Trust comes from transparency and accountability that residents perceive, not just policy language,” Shirk said. “Governments need to clearly disclose when AI will be used, what it cannot do, and how humans can be reached or challenge decisions.”
Stay informed about people: AI cannot and should not replace critical thinking. Organizations need to be clear about how staff can utilize AI, what processes cannot be changed, what decisions need to be made by humans, and how operations are evolving.
conclusion
For state and local governments, the real value of AI is not in experimentation or novelty, but in advancing core missions and enhancing public services.
When applied thoughtfully, AI can streamline daily tasks, improve collaboration, and enhance access to information. With a mission-aligned, human-centered approach, governments can transform AI from an industry buzz to a durable capability that improves outcomes today and adapts to future needs.
This article was written and produced by Government Technology Content Studio with information and input from HP Inc and Intel Corporation.
Sponsored by HP Inc and Intel Corporation
HP Inc. is a technology company that believes that one thoughtful idea has the power to change the world. Our product and service portfolio of personal systems, printers and 3D printing solutions can help turn these ideas into reality. www.hp.com/HPSolutions-StateandLocalGov
Intel Corporation is a company dedicated to developing world-changing technologies that improve the lives of everyone on the planet.
www.intel.com
