How AI can enhance public services

Michaela Black, professor of artificial intelligence (AI) at Ulster University says that with careful planning, strong governance, and an unwavering focus on fairness and transparency, AI can be a transformative tool in creating more equitable and effective public services.

“One of the most compelling benefits of AI is its ability to enhance frontline services,” Black says, adding her belief that, in public sector settings, AI can act as an “intelligent interface, allowing citizens to ask questions and receive quick and accurate answers”.

“AI tools can sift through vast amounts of data, instantly providing citizens with the information they need, often creating the impression that they are speaking with a knowledgeable colleague rather than navigating an impersonal bureaucracy.”

What makes AI particularly powerful in this instance, according to Black, is its ability to retain context from prior interactions: “This means that when citizens follow up with additional questions or requests, they do not have to start from scratch”.

“The AI tool remembers past exchanges, helping to streamline communication and making the experience much more efficient. In a public service environment where staff are often overwhelmed with a high volume of inquiries, AI can greatly alleviate this burden, enabling human workers to focus on more complex or sensitive cases.”

A citizen-centric approach

Talking on prospective uses of AI in the public sector, Black emphasises the prominent role that AI can make in enabling the transition towards more remote and self-service options in public services.

“As AI technologies evolve, they enable citizens to resolve challenges independently, without the need for direct interaction with a human agent.”

Black states that this shift is especially important in circumstances where in-person service is limited or impractical, such as during crises or in geographically remote areas.

“AI-powered systems allow citizens to find the information or solutions they need on their own, reducing the need for human intervention. This, in turn, helps to reduce pressure on public sector workers and allows them to focus on more nuanced or complicated challenges.”

According to Black, this empowerment of citizens is a key factor in reshaping the public service experience: “By providing self-service options, AI can make public services more efficient, flexible, and accessible to all”.

Integrating and enhancing AI

The Ulster University professor says she is optimistic about the potential for AI to accumulate institutional knowledge over time.

“As public service organisations use AI tools, these systems can learn from every interaction, building a wealth of knowledge that can be used to answer citizens’ questions more accurately and effectively.

“Over time, the AI system becomes an expert in its own right – drawing on a vast pool of information to provide reliable and precise responses.”

In Black’s view, this ability to accumulate and refine knowledge is especially beneficial in large organisations that handle a broad range of queries and services. By integrating AI into daily operations, she asserts that public service organisations can build a “deeper, more robust internal knowledge base”, which benefits “both citizens and employees”.

The AI tool, trained by the data it accumulates, becomes an ever-more efficient source of expertise, improving service delivery for everyone involved.

AI also plays a role in transforming the workforce in the public sector, according to Black. The younger generation, often described as “digital natives”, are well-versed in AI and other emerging technologies. Unlike previous generations, they are not intimidated by AI’s integration into the workplace but rather see it as an opportunity to enhance their work and productivity.

Black believes that the newest generation of workers, can bring “not only technical skills, but also an inherent understanding of how AI can be a tool for positive change”. She underscores that these digital natives will need to be equipped with AI literacy training.

“For AI to be integrated successfully in public services, employees must understand both its potential and its limitations. Without this training, organisations risk using AI in ways that could be inefficient or even harmful.”

The need for AI governance

While Black is enthusiastic about the potential of AI, she is equally aware of the risks associated with its adoption, especially in public sector settings. One of the most pressing concerns is the risk of bias in AI models, outlining that if AI systems are trained on biased data, there is a significant risk that they could perpetuate inequality or unfair outcomes. The Human in the loop (HITL) approach is vital in developing and widening these new technologies, as is adhering to the REST principles: Responsible, Explainable, Sustainable and Trustworthy AI.

Black warns that “AI tools in areas like healthcare, social services, or law enforcement could unintentionally disadvantage certain groups of people if not properly trained and monitored”.

Black also emphasises the importance of using diverse and representative data when developing AI tools. AI systems must be designed to avoid reinforcing biases that may already exist in society.

She believes that transparency is also critical, as citizens and employees need to understand how AI makes decisions and what data it relies on: “Strong governance frameworks must be put in place to ensure that AI tools are used ethically and fairly”.

Another major concern for Black is the risk of misinformation and disinformation, particularly in the context of AI’s ability to generate content. As AI systems like ChatGPT become more prevalent, she warns that the potential for spreading inaccurate or misleading information grows.

In her view, AI systems need to be “carefully managed to avoid spreading false or misleading content”.

Concluding, Black says that she believes AI holds the potential to “significantly improve” public services, making them “more efficient, accessible, and user-centred”.

“By enhancing frontline services, enabling remote self-service, and accumulating knowledge, AI can help public institutions meet the growing demands of an increasingly digital society.”

However, Black stresses that the successful adoption of AI requires careful planning, strong governance, and an unwavering focus on fairness and transparency, saying: “When used responsibly, AI can be a transformative tool in creating more equitable and effective public services.”