Page 48 - FCW, June 2017

CITIZEN ENGAGEMENT
THE AI REVOLUTION
Cognitive technology can enhance citizen services and unleash employees’ creativity.
SPONSORED CONTENT
BOB BECK
VICE PRESIDENT
AND GENERAL MANAGER, IPSOFT GOVERNMENT SOLUTIONS
CITIZENS EXPECT government services to be delivered like those in retail —
fast, easy, convenient. With artificial intelligence and cognitive technologies, governments are able to deliver fast,
easy, convenient services without having to change all their back-end systems.
Computational speed, machine learning and natural user interfaces have advanced to the point where computers can do jobs previously only done by humans. This means government agencies can redeploy current human resources and dedicate them to higher-value tasks.
Widespread use of artificial intelligence in government is both imminent and inevitable. And that’s good news for citizen engagement. Artificial intelligence can make citizens’ self- services much more powerful. Finding the right information with just one click on a government website can be a challenge. Too often people abandon their search and call in to a help desk, which takes longer and is more labor intensive. If agencies use cognitive technologies to support their website’s primary interface, people can simply tell a virtual customer assistant what they need, and that assistant will help them.
The typical person can handle maybe two or three activities in parallel. A virtual cognitive assistant can handle hundreds of simultaneous engagements with citizens and do so on a
24/7, 365-day basis. Automating routine tasks with these virtual assistants increases the government’s effectiveness and frees up employees for more creative, complex tasks.
Beyond increasing efficiency, cognitive technology will help agencies introduce new services that were previously not feasible. Indeed, imagination is the only limitation in terms of the ways artificial intelligence can transform the citizen experience.
That is particularly relevant in the current government environment. Agency and citizen needs continue to grow as government
agencies face budget constraints. By embracing automation, agencies can redefine the cost-and- quality equation they offer citizens.
In the future, government agencies and contrac- tors will form a digital workforce that balances human and virtual employees. However, artificial intelligence is a highly disruptive technology. Its introduction into government agencies will likely raise some concerns among employees. Agencies should stress the fact that artificial intelligence tools will unleash the potential for human creativity by redirecting employees from low-level, repetitive tasks to higher-value work.
To successfully prepare for the shift, agencies need to rethink how they deliver their services. They must rethink how they teach and train em- ployees so people can step into higher-value roles where creativity, innovation and curiosity reign. In much the same way that machines transformed manufacturing and agriculture during the Indus- trial Revolution, artificial intelligence technology will elevate people’s roles and free them to focus on more creative endeavors and innovation.
Artificial intelligence and digital labor technologies are game changers. Implemented properly, those and other new technologies, such as big-data analysis, can empower citizens to find the right services and make use of them much faster and cost-effectively. Such tools can also help agencies quickly identify customer needs and respond in a more cost-efficient manner. For humans to do the same thing would require three daily shifts, and the cost would be beyond most agency budgets.
Digital assistants can provide citizens with fast, easy and convenient access to information specific to their needs. Every government agency, department or bureau can benefit
from embracing artificial intelligence, both internally and externally.
Bob Beck is Vice President and General Manager of IPsoft Government Solutions.
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