Page 28 - FCW, September/October 2019

ROB STEIN is vice president Commentary|BY ROB STEIN oftheU.S.PublicSectorat
NetApp.
Closing the gap on real-world AI applications
The government is moving forward on artificial intelligence, and agencies must find ways to navigate the challenges
There are strong indications that 2019 will prove to be a pivotal year in the public sector’s adoption of artificial intelligence. In February, the White House issued an executive order launching the American AI Initiative, which seeks to encourage the development of technical standards for AI, build
an AI workforce that can drive technological breakthroughs, and boost economic competitiveness and national security applications across government, industry and academia.
The order was followed by
the launch of AI.gov, a website
that shares federal AI initiatives, including insights on how the technology is being applied at
key agencies, such as the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, the National Science Foundation and the National Institute of Standards and Technology.
Enthusiasm for AI has been growing. In a recent study from NetApp and Arrow, 77% of public- sector IT managers said the AI initiative has already increased their pace of AI adoption, while 90% sensed a shift in momentum toward adoption and application of AI technologies in the past two years.
Nevertheless, challenges remain. Agencies seeking to close the gap between the promise of AI and real- world applications must understand the following challenges:
• Technology. IT departments are challenged with outdated equipment, limited budgets and
uncertainty about how to pivot
to the innovative infrastructures required to effectively implement AI technologies.
• Talent. A lack of talent and internal advocacy remains a
major roadblock to AI adoption.
In our survey, only 15% of federal and state IT professionals felt completely prepared in the areas of analytics, infrastructure, strategic leadership, data organization or staff knowledge.
A lack of talent and internal advocacy remains a major roadblock to AI adoption.
• Fear. Although employees often wonder how AI will affect their job security, our survey indicates that optimism is replacing fear. More than half of federal, state, local
and education IT managers in our survey said they were “optimistic” or “excited” about the prospect
of adopting or increasing AI technology, while just 17% reported feeling “apprehensive” and only 12% feel “skeptical.” Critically, just 9% of those surveyed see AI as a threat.
• Culture. In the public sector, culture is perhaps the biggest barrier to AI adoption. In many agencies, operations are intimately tied to
legacy processes, and there are no big rewards for revolutionizing those processes.
Despite the obstacles, 77% of public-sector IT managers view AI as an asset to their organization’s ability to deliver on its mission, and 85% agree AI will be a game changer in the way agencies think about and process data. Agencies can realize those ambitious goals with the following strategies:
• Prepare for AI launch.
Agencies should ensure that AI
is part of their organization’s technology roadmap to instill confidence in adoption. They should also invest in relevant infrastructure, organize data and improve data governance.
• Get the team on board.
For a smoother implementation process, IT teams should increase the number of employees with AI-related skills and educate key leaders on AI’s benefits.
• Take one small step. The most direct way to reap AI’s benefits is by starting small. Agencies can leverage foundational AI technologies such as chatbots, voice assistants and high-performance computing as they build a broader AI strategy.
The path to AI adoption in the public sector will be paved by champions who can effectively address the adoption pain points and navigate practical deployments. If implemented effectively, AI will have an unprecedented impact on the way that government services are delivered. n
28 September/October 2019 FCW.COM