Based on real experience and research involving more than 4,000 cases of use of AI, nortal gives an overview of how governments can best use AI
In Nortal, we have analyzed 4,372 cases of use of AI, including 750 cases accessible to the public in 30 countries, To understand what works and what does not. Our conclusion: governments do not need more AI; They need the right AI – built for the realities of the public service, integrated into existing workflows and implemented with front -line professionals, which are not imposed on them. When AI fails the government, it is rarely because technology is not good enough. This is because it was not built for work.
We have drawn three main conclusions on the use of AI:
1. Start with a reality verification: know what is possible in a given sector
How: AI must be deployed where it directly improves existing systems, avoiding disturbances. The key is to understand the needs of the sector, current operations and existing solutions before introducing new technologies.
Example: in Sydney, the road maintenance department resolved the challenge of detecting nests-of-poule by adapting the existing infrastructure (garbage trucks) rather than introducing a disruptive technology. Going up smartphones on these trucks, which covered most of the roads, they created a real-time scanning system that detected poule nests. This approach has taken advantage of existing work flows without requiring significant infrastructure changes or additional vehicles, maximizing efficiency.
2. You cannot return the government in shape AI, so you have to make AI addresses the government
- How:
- AI must be integrated into government processes to meet specific and targeted challenges. Governments should focus on progressive and manageable adoption which targets use cases with high impact without disturbing basic public services.
- Example:
- The AI Leap 2025 program of Estonia illustrates this approach by offering teachers and students of AI tools such as the Openai Chatppt. It is not a push of the coverage; The program begins with a selected number of students and will develop according to the comments. Teacher training is a central element to ensure the effective integration of AI into existing educational methods, demonstrating how AI can be introduced in a controlled and impactful manner.
3. The appropriate digital foundations ensure that AI does not remain a pilot project
- How:
- For AI to evolve and have a significant impact, it must be supported by a strong digital infrastructure. This means ensuring that the data is interoperable, of high quality and secure and that governance is in place to manage them. Without these fundamental elements, AI can only work in isolated pilot projects, not as a basic capacity through the government.
- Example:
- The Singapore Smart Nation initiative demonstrates this approach. The government has integrated AI into a broader digital strategy, ensuring that AI tools had access to well -structured secure data between public agencies. This created a spine of unified data, allowing AI applications to expand effectively.
Case study: Fighting unemployment with AI
The Estonian Unemployment Investment Fund (EUIF) was faced with a massive challenge during the COVVI-19 crisis. With only 350 advisers, the fund had to manage 96,000 cases of unemployment. Each advisor was responsible for 274 cases, crushing the system.
To resolve this problem, Nortal worked with the Center for IT Impact Studies to create a decision -making support tool that analyzed each case, predicts the probabilities of reuse and reported high -risk people who needed additional support. This allowed advisers to make personalized decisions based on large -scale data, to improve efficiency and results.
This success highlights the advantage of Estonia: a public sector ready for AI. Many governments have trouble with disorderly and partitioned data that can even undermine the most advanced AI initiatives. Without structured accessible data, of high quality, AI can mislead and underperform.
Four essential questions
There are many examples of government initiatives for AI if you know where to look for. The National Kingdom’s National Strategy of the United Kingdom, the assessment of the Algorithmic Impact of Canada, the National AI training program of Finland and the X-Road of Estonia, to nam only a few. What are they likely in common? Strong and responsible leadership that asked the right questions from the start.
1. What are your return on investment expectations?
Have you defined the problem clearly? Is AI the right solution, or could another solution be better? Focusing on the return on investment helps you answer these questions, ensuring that the AI solution answers the real problem. This will justify the required costs and resources, with clear KPIs and a means of measuring success.
2. What are your budgetary constraints?
Do not forget to take into account the long -term costs for maintenance, updates and experts you will need for deployment and continuous support. Consider iteratively testing to reduce the risk of poor results and deploy in a selected area before extending.
3. What are the data challenges and legal restrictions?
AI prosperous on the data, so make sure to understand the data, availability and quality required. Be aware of the confidentiality and data security problems and ensure the compliance of regulations.
4. How much is your citizens?
Evaluate the amount of training and support users will need to adopt AI solutions. Public opinion and ethical implications are essential to adoption. Does your solution guarantee equity, transparency and responsibility? How is it going into workflows and existing processes?
Ask us your questions
From the rationalization of public services in Germany to the development of advanced digital systems in Estonia, Nortal has proven its ability to transform complex government operations into advanced digital systems. In the United Kingdom, we focus on the simplification of services and the creation of the digital backbone for integrated solutions and first citizens. With our experience in the supply of successful electronic government solutions aligned on the UK digital transformation program, we are ready to meet the evolutionary expectations of citizens and the needs of the public sector.
