How AI Helps Improve Administrative Efficiency in Governments

Administrative efficiency is a key factor in the successful functioning of public authorities. Governments worldwide are increasingly exploring the use of AI to enhance their capabilities. AI can automate routine processes, analyze large volumes of data, ensure quick and accurate decision-making, and improve the quality of public services. By using AI, governments can respond more effectively to citizens’ needs, allocate resources more efficiently, and anticipate future challenges.

Main Areas of AI Use in Governments are:

AI for Policy Development and Decision-Making

Policy development is a complex and multifaceted process that requires considering many factors and analyzing significant volumes of data. In the modern world, where information flows are constantly increasing, traditional methods may not be sufficiently effective. AI has the potential to significantly enhance these processes by providing more accurate data analysis, scenario modeling, and decision support.

1. Big Data Analysis

AI can analyze large volumes of data, allowing government bodies to make more informed and effective decisions. This is particularly important for:

– Trend Forecasting: AI can analyze large datasets, identify hidden trends and patterns, and help governments forecast future events and changes. For example, analyzing economic indicators, demographic data, or climate change can help in developing a long-term strategy for the country’s development.

– Problem Detection: AI can assist in identifying issues that require immediate attention. For instance, analyzing health data can detect the onset of an epidemic, allowing timely measures to contain it. Similarly, analyzing social media can reveal rising social tensions or the spread of misinformation.

2. Decision-Making Support

AI has significant potential to improve the decision-making process within government bodies. Using AI for data analysis, scenario modeling, process automation, and enhancing transparency enables governments to make more effective and informed decisions. In particular, by:

– Resource Optimization: AI can help optimize resource allocation, ensuring more efficient use of budget funds and human resources. For example, analyzing data on the needs of different regions can help prioritize funding for social programs or infrastructure projects.

– Personalized Recommendations: Based on data analysis of citizens, AI can provide personalized recommendations to governments regarding the provision of services or support to specific population groups. This improves the effectiveness of government programs and ensures a more equitable distribution of resources.

3. Predictive Modeling and Simulation

AI models can predict potential outcomes of different policy options, allowing governments to foresee the consequences and adjust their strategies accordingly. By simulating various scenarios, AI helps policymakers understand the potential impacts of their decisions in different contexts, contributing to more sustainable and effective public policies. This is achieved by:

– Impact Assessment of Decisions: One of the most important aspects of policy development is assessing the potential consequences of decisions. AI can create models that simulate different development scenarios, taking into account multiple factors. This allows for an evaluation of the impact of decisions on the economy, social sphere, environment, and other important aspects.

– Support in Crisis Situations: In crisis situations, such as natural disasters or economic crises, swift and accurate decision-making is critically important. AI can assist governments in modeling various courses of action and their consequences, enabling more effective crisis management.

Examples of AI Use in Policy Development and Decision-Making

1. The Belgian company CitizenLab created a platform based on machine learning (ML) and AI algorithms that helps public officials effectively manage and utilize thousands of citizen contributions for decision-making. The platform’s dashboards classify ideas, identify new topics, summarize trends, and group similar contributions based on themes, demographics, or location. CitizenLab developed its own natural language processing (NLP) methods, using ML and AI to quickly extract key ideas from large volumes of unstructured citizen input, such as ideas, comments, and votes. 

Platform administrators gain instant insights into citizen discussions, demographic variations in topics, and the geographical distribution of conversations. With access to reliable data, policymakers can make informed decisions and develop policies that genuinely address citizens’ needs.

2. To promote data-driven decision-making in the public sector, the University of Latvia and the Microsoft Innovation Center developed the “Data Challenge” platform. This initiative brings together teams of public sector officials and data analysts to create several AI solution prototypes over a few weeks, addressing specific public sector challenges. This AI platform allows public sector organizations to view and assess innovation prototypes before committing to further development and investment.

3. AI tools have supported the efforts of the Southeast Michigan Council of Governments (SEMCOG) in various urban planning and public infrastructure projects. SEMCOG used AI-based developments from companies Nearmap and Ecopia AI to identify more than 3,452 previously unregistered buildings in its region.

4. Durham Police in England used a tool developed by Cambridge University, the “Harm Assessment Risk Tool” (HART), which employs AI decision support. The tool helps detention officers decide whether to detain a suspect or refer them to a rehabilitation program. However, in early 2018, HART faced significant criticism for incorporating racial and class-based stereotypes into its input data. In 2022, Durham Police stopped the use of HART due to the substantial resources required for continuous improvement and model updates to meet ethical and legal standards.

5. EY implemented an automated AI-driven inventory management solution for the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) to ensure consistency across all stages of the inventory documentation process. This automated process enabled the rapid creation of reports that accurately reflected field data. Additionally, when DoD leadership needed supporting documentation for decision-making, bots and optical character recognition (OCR) technology automatically filled out the necessary government forms, eliminating the manual process that could introduce errors. As a result, the military accelerated the physical inventory process, saving over 150,000 work hours in the first nine months.

6. A ML algorithm called TranSEC (Transportation State Estimation Capability) was developed at the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) under the U.S. Department of Energy to overcome urban traffic congestion. It provides urban transportation engineers with actionable insights into urban traffic patterns. By integrating TranSEC with publicly available data in the Los Angeles area, the time required to develop a traffic congestion model was reduced 10 times, from several days to just a few minutes.

AI for Enhancing the Quality of Public Services

AI can significantly improve the quality of public services by providing more accurate and timely information, as well as increasing the accessibility of these services to citizens. 

1. Automation of Routine Processes

AI-based automation can handle routine tasks, reducing the workload on government employees and allowing them to focus on more complex issues. This not only enhances the efficiency of government operations but also leads to significant cost savings.

Examples of the automation of routine processes in government include:

– Document and Citizen Request Processing: An AI-based system can automatically sort, classify, and process documents, significantly speeding up this process.

  – Automatic Responses to Inquiries: AI-powered chatbots can respond to citizen inquiries in real-time, providing necessary information and reducing the workload on government staff.

2. Personalized Services

AI can analyze individual citizen data to offer personalized services, such as tailored health advice, customized educational resources, and specialized social services. This ensures that citizens receive services that best meet their needs.

Here are some areas where AI can be applied to provide personalized services by government agencies:

– Personalized Medicine: AI can analyze a patient’s medical data to create individualized treatment plans.

– Adaptive Learning: AI systems can adapt educational materials to the specific needs of students by identifying their strengths and weaknesses.

– Personalization of Social Assistance: AI can help create personalized social assistance plans based on individual needs.

3. Resource Optimization

AI can help distribute resources more efficiently by analyzing usage patterns and predicting future needs. This ensures that government services are available where and when they are most needed. Specifically, resource optimization can occur through:

– Demand Forecasting for Specific Government Services: AI can predict the demand for various government services, allowing governments to effectively reallocate resources based on population needs. This ensures service availability and efficiency, reduces wait times, and increases satisfaction with services.

– Cost Optimization: AI can create cost distribution models and identify areas where costs can be reduced. Such optimization leads to more efficient use of public funds.

Examples of AI Use for Enhancing the Quality of Public Services

1. The integration of AI technologies allowed the Uruguayan Agency for Electronic Government and Information and Knowledge Society (AGESIC) to automate administrative tasks, document verification, and data entry. AI solutions have effectively automated the classification of 82% of AGESIC’s support requests through a comprehensive end-to-end platform. AGESIC service users have experienced a significant reduction in the time required to process service requests due to automation. The AI-driven platform now processes requests in less than one percent of the time compared to the traditional manual process.

2. The Romanian Agency for Rural Investment Financing (AFIR) has simplified the process of obtaining the necessary documents and permits for farmers’ funding applications through automation. AFIR uses software solutions from UiPath to automate bureaucratic and labor-intensive processes. Automation facilitates direct document requests from government institutions and helps obtain information from applicants and beneficiaries of the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development (EAFRD) from institutions with which AFIR has cooperation agreements. The AI platform significantly reduces the time required to process funding applications, decreasing the costs associated with obtaining and submitting the necessary permits and authorizations.

3. The Department of Social Welfare in Trelleborg, Sweden, utilized AI technologies, specifically Robotic Process Automation (RPA), to automate various social assistance payment decisions. The use of UiPath robots has significantly reduced the waiting time for assistance applications, offering more efficient service to citizens and reducing the workload on staff.

4. The Allegheny County Department of Human Services in the USA uses an AI-based family screening tool that has improved the efficiency of the screening process for calls reporting child abuse. The system has achieved 77% accuracy in identifying children at risk of entering foster care.

AI for Regulatory Compliance Monitoring

Monitoring regulatory compliance is a crucial aspect of the functioning of government institutions. It involves ensuring adherence to legislative acts, standards, and internal rules, which requires significant resources and time. Utilizing AI to automate and optimize this process can significantly enhance its efficiency, reduce risks, and ensure more accurate and timely compliance with regulatory requirements.

1. Automation of the Compliance Monitoring Process

AI can automate compliance monitoring processes, reducing the burden on staff and increasing accuracy. This includes:

– Document and Report Analysis: AI-based systems can automatically analyze large volumes of documents and reports for regulatory compliance, identifying potential violations. For example, AI can monitor financial transactions to detect and prevent fraud, ensuring adherence to financial regulations.

– Legislation Monitoring: AI can continuously track changes in legislation and regulations, ensuring timely updates to an organization’s policies and procedures.

– Report Generation: AI systems can automatically generate reports based on collected and processed data, including charts, diagrams, and other visual elements. This ensures the rapid creation of reports with high accuracy.

2. Anomaly and Corruption Detection

AI can analyze large volumes of financial data to detect anomalous transactions that may indicate corruption or money laundering. This includes:

– Detection of Suspicious Patterns: AI can identify patterns characteristic of corrupt schemes, such as unusually large transactions, regular transfers of small amounts to different accounts, or transactions involving offshore companies.

– Transaction Chain Analysis: AI can analyze transaction chains to uncover complex transfer schemes that may indicate attempts to conceal the origin of funds.

– Monitoring Public Procurement: AI can assist in detecting anomalies in public procurement processes that may indicate corruption.

– Conflict of Interest Detection: AI can help identify conflicts of interest among officials and employees by analyzing data on their activities and relationships between individuals, as well as conducting property data analysis.

4. Monitoring Government Activities

AI can assist in monitoring the activities of government bodies, ensuring transparency and accountability in their operations:

– Analysis of Budget Spending Efficiency: AI can analyze data on government spending, identifying inefficient expenditures or potential misuse of budgetary funds.

– Monitoring the Implementation of Government Programs: AI can analyze data on the implementation of government programs, detecting possible violations or shortcomings in their execution.

Examples of AI Use for Regulatory Compliance Monitoring

1. Using an AI tool that leverages satellite mapping, French tax authorities detected 20,356 undeclared private swimming pools, enabling them to collect approximately €10 million in taxes.

2. In collaboration with Stratio, Inc., a company specializing in AI and sensor technologies, the South Korean government implemented an AI-based solution to detect cases of intellectual property rights violations amid increasing instances of counterfeit production imitating domestic products. Stratio significantly contributed to assisting the Korean government in detecting design infringement cases at border checkpoints by developing an innovative AI program that identifies counterfeit designs. As a result of implementing this solution, 82.7% accuracy in detection was achieved, and the rate of intellectual property infringement prevention increased by 60% (from $0.24 billion to $0.4 billion per year in total revenue from illegal reproduction).

3. The online platform DOZORRO in Ukraine uses AI to check procurement data, identifying signs of corruption and violations in the procurement process. By quickly scanning large volumes of data, the system significantly improves the efficiency of expert analysis of tenders. The automation of monitoring and data analysis processes has led to a 26% increase in the detection of tenders with unjustified winner selection, a 37% increase in tenders with groundless disqualification, and a 298% increase in cases of collusion among participants.

AI for Supporting Government Interaction with Society

In today’s world, where the volume of information and the number of citizen inquiries to government institutions are constantly increasing, the use of AI can significantly improve the efficiency and quality of government interaction with society. AI can automate routine tasks, ensure timely processing of inquiries, and provide citizens with more personalized and convenient services.

1. Automation of Citizen Inquiry Processing

AI can greatly simplify the process of handling citizen inquiries, ensuring timely responses and problem resolution by means of:

– Chatbots and Virtual Assistants: AI-based virtual assistants can automatically respond to frequently asked questions from citizens, providing information about government services, procedures, documents, and other topics. This reduces the burden on government employees and ensures quick access to information for citizens.

– Classification and Prioritization of Inquiries: AI can automatically classify citizen inquiries by topic and prioritize them, ensuring the prompt resolution of the most critical issues. For example, the system can determine which inquiries require immediate intervention and which can be addressed in the standard order.

2. Supporting Citizen Participation in Decision-Making

AI can facilitate active citizen participation in the decision-making process, ensuring transparency and engagement. This includes:

– Public Opinion Analysis: AI can analyze comments, surveys, and social media posts to determine public opinion on important issues. This allows government bodies to respond quickly to the needs and interests of citizens.

– Crowdsourcing Platforms: AI can be integrated into platforms for electronic surveys, public discussions, and other citizen engagement tools, providing more effective interaction between the government and society.

3. Personalized Services for Citizens

AI can be utilized to provide personalized services, enhancing the quality of interaction between citizens and government bodies. Such personalized services may include the following:

– Recommendations for Government Services: Based on the analysis of citizen data, AI can provide personalized recommendations for government services that may be useful. For example, the system can inform a citizen about available social assistance programs for which they may be eligible.

– Automation of Document Completion: AI can assist citizens in automatically filling out forms and documents based on their personal data, simplifying the application process for government services.

4. Identifying Issues and Predicting Citizen Needs

AI can help government agencies identify problems and predict citizen needs, allowing for more responsive action. This includes:

– Analysis of Inquiries to Identify Problems: AI can analyze large datasets of citizen inquiries to identify common problems and trends that require government attention. For example, if there is a significant increase in complaints about water supply issues in a particular region, it may signal the need for intervention by relevant authorities.

– Predicting Social Needs: AI can be used to forecast future citizen needs based on the analysis of demographic and socio-economic data. This allows the government to plan and develop appropriate programs and services to meet these needs.

Examples of AI Use for Supporting Government Interaction with Society

1. The Latvian State Administration’s AI-powered platform “Hugo.lv” provides round-the-clock support to thousands of clients, offering advice and information. This AI platform offers automatic translation, speech recognition, and synthesis, as well as various multilingual support tools for electronic services. As a result, nearly 40 Latvian government agencies have integrated AI chatbots into their websites, ensuring consistent, well-structured, and easily accessible support 24/7.

2. The U.S. The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) uses AI-based object recognition in its Global Travel Assessment System (GTAS). Developed by the U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) as an open-source platform, GTAS receives and stores standard passenger information (Advanced Passenger Information (API) and Passenger Name Record (PNR)) to model risks in real-time. Tamr’s machine learning software for analyzing API/PNR data in GTAS enhances the identification and verification of individuals at security checkpoints and borders. This increases the speed at which GTAS can confirm the identity of “trusted travelers” or identify individuals of interest. The system generates match probabilities ranging from 0 to 1, helping managers make informed decisions. AI software enables GTAS to perform checks in less than five seconds, significantly increasing the speed at which users can generate predictive risk models for travelers.

Conclusion

The use of AI in government bodies is a powerful tool for enhancing administrative efficiency. AI enables the automation of routine processes, the analysis of large volumes of data, and the improvement of the quality of public services. Examples from various countries around the world demonstrate that the implementation of AI in public administration is already yielding significant results, ensuring more efficient and transparent government operations. In the future, the use of AI will continue to grow, opening new opportunities for improving the administrative efficiency of governments globally.