Challenges for government adoption of AI

Terms of use

Terms of Use

The use of this site and the content contained therein is governed by the Terms of Use. When you use this site you acknowledge that you have read the Terms of Use and that you accept and will be bound by the terms hereof and such terms as may be modified from time to time.

All text, graphics, audio, design and other works on the site are the copyrighted works of nasscom unless otherwise indicated. All rights reserved.
Content on the site is for personal use only and may be downloaded provided the material is kept intact and there is no violation of the copyrights, trademarks, and other proprietary rights. Any alteration of the material or use of the material contained in the site for any other purpose is a violation of the copyright of nasscom and / or its affiliates or associates or of its third-party information providers. This material cannot be copied, reproduced, republished, uploaded, posted, transmitted or distributed in any way for non-personal use without obtaining the prior permission from nasscom.
The nasscom Members login is for the reference of only registered nasscom Member Companies.
nasscom reserves the right to modify the terms of use of any service without any liability. nasscom reserves the right to take all measures necessary to prevent access to any service or termination of service if the terms of use are not complied with or are contravened or there is any violation of copyright, trademark or other proprietary right.
From time to time nasscom may supplement these terms of use with additional terms pertaining to specific content (additional terms). Such additional terms are hereby incorporated by reference into these Terms of Use.

Disclaimer

The Company information provided on the nasscom web site is as per data collected by companies. nasscom is not liable on the authenticity of such data.
nasscom has exercised due diligence in checking the correctness and authenticity of the information contained in the site, but nasscom or any of its affiliates or associates or employees shall not be in any way responsible for any loss or damage that may arise to any person from any inadvertent error in the information contained in this site. The information from or through this site is provided "as is" and all warranties express or implied of any kind, regarding any matter pertaining to any service or channel, including without limitation the implied warranties of merchantability, fitness for a particular purpose, and non-infringement are disclaimed. nasscom and its affiliates and associates shall not be liable, at any time, for any failure of performance, error, omission, interruption, deletion, defect, delay in operation or transmission, computer virus, communications line failure, theft or destruction or unauthorised access to, alteration of, or use of information contained on the site. No representations, warranties or guarantees whatsoever are made as to the accuracy, adequacy, reliability, completeness, suitability or applicability of the information to a particular situation.
nasscom or its affiliates or associates or its employees do not provide any judgments or warranty in respect of the authenticity or correctness of the content of other services or sites to which links are provided. A link to another service or site is not an endorsement of any products or services on such site or the site.
The content provided is for information purposes alone and does not substitute for specific advice whether investment, legal, taxation or otherwise. nasscom disclaims all liability for damages caused by use of content on the site.
All responsibility and liability for any damages caused by downloading of any data is disclaimed.
nasscom reserves the right to modify, suspend / cancel, or discontinue any or all sections, or service at any time without notice.

For any grievances under the Information Technology Act 2000, please get in touch with Grievance Officer, Mr. Anirban Mandal at data-query@nasscom.in.

New

See all

No notification found.

Challenges for government adoption of AI

Sanketsahni

@Sanketsahni

February 15, 2021

AI Inside

127

From transportation solutions to video-streaming applications, artificial intelligence (AI) permeates almost every aspect of our lives. This includes government, where AI is increasingly making an impact.

The public sector has a high potential for artificial intelligence (AI) to have a transformative impact. After all, governments have access to tremendous amounts of data, and government operations affect each of us in small and large ways every day. So far, AI adoption among government entities appears to be uneven and generally lags behind the private sector.

SAS conducted a survey of more than 300 executives across a variety of industries. It found a decidedly mixed picture of AI in government, likely owing to an environment that is often risk-averse, subject to myriad legislative hurdles and vast in its reach. The survey, published by SAS, Accenture Applied Intelligence and Intel and conducted by Forbes Insights, showed signs that we have reached the moment at which AI expands beyond discrete use cases and experiments into wider adoption in some agencies.

IBM estimated in 2017 that 90% of the world’s data had been created in the past two years. The problem is, our organizations, both public and private, were not created to handle and take advantage of this volume and variety of data. Most organizations have a very rudimentary understanding of their data assets (i.e. the data they hold and the infrastructure that holds that data) and trying to answer even basic questions such as how many databases exist within the organization, which database contains what information, or how data is collected in the first place, can be challenging. This is a significant problem given data is the fuel that powers modern AI solutions.

A parallel roadblock is that most organizations do not have data governance processes in place, such as established data owners, an enterprise data champion, such as a Chief Data Officer; tools for their employees to safely and efficiently access and take advantage of enterprise data, or practices to manage and ensure data privacy and integrity. Organizations that do not possess the capabilities to understand and manage their data cannot take advantage of AI.

Pursuing their missions every day, government agencies spend much of their time focused on operational issues. That time-consuming focus is required in government departments and offices that are held accountable for achieving clearly defined missions. If they fall short, the consequences can be devastating – for the citizens they serve, as well as for the government organization itself. Not to mention, in some cases, a leader’s career.

In that context, it’s easy to see how AI remains a second-tier priority for some government leaders who have operational roles. In the face of pressing requirements to deliver critical services, AI may appear to be a luxury that is just out of reach. This presents government leaders with a paradox. Many have no time to fully embrace AI due to everyday demands, but those AI advances could be instrumental in unlocking real, measurable operational improvements that have the effect of reducing strains on resources and giving them more time to fulfill their mission.

In addition, government personnel in non-technical roles, such as department directors, policy-makers, and procurement officials do not always have enough understanding about data and AI. This includes technical knowledge and most importantly knowledge of the legal and ethical implications of using vast amounts of data, where the main concern is privacy. This makes it difficult for them to feel comfortable investing in the technology, or be aware of existing laws that have a direct effect on AI projects, such as data and privacy legislation.

Embarking on AI projects without having a full understanding of applicable local laws threatens constituents’ rights, such as privacy, and the government’s long-term ability to deploy AI with full public support. This can have as large an effect on AI procurement as a lack of technical AI skills.

Government agencies that do have AI in-house knowledge face an added complexity: lack of communication. Silos between functions make it hard for AI resources and their colleagues, such as policy-makers, to have frequent touchpoints and take full advantage of each other’s knowledge.

However, even though AI implementation within most segments of the public sector is lagging behind their private-sector counterparts, this may present an unexpected opportunity. As other industries have experimented, failed, learned, and progressed in their efforts with AI, government leaders can benefit from the insights and best practices gleaned from these experiences. That presents a significant opportunity for the government, suggesting eventual broader adoption.

Regardless of its trajectory, it seems clear that AI will expand among government entities as the capabilities become more powerful, and leaders hone their ability to deploy them. While what’s next will vary from agency to agency based on their operating environment, it’s a safe bet that the factors that set successful AI adopters apart, as found in the research, will figure prominently among public sector organizations.

artificial intelligence IBM SAS Accenture Applied Intelligence Forbes Insights

Disclaimer

That the contents of third-party articles/blogs published here on the website, and the interpretation of all information in the article/blogs such as data, maps, numbers, opinions etc. displayed in the article/blogs and views or the opinions expressed within the content are solely of the author's; and do not reflect the opinions and beliefs of NASSCOM or its affiliates in any manner. NASSCOM does not take any liability w.r.t. content in any manner and will not be liable in any manner whatsoever for any kind of liability arising out of any act, error or omission. The contents of third-party article/blogs published, are provided solely as convenience; and the presence of these articles/blogs should not, under any circumstances, be considered as an endorsement of the contents by NASSCOM in any manner; and if you chose to access these articles/blogs , you do so at your own risk.

Sanketsahni

Key Trends in Gen AI Startups: Pivo...

Madhumay

Digital Transfo..

15 Nov 2024

Power of Machine Learning via Data ...

Snowflake

Machine Learnin..

15 Nov 2024