In a report released on August 15, the Public Service Partnership said the federal government needs to make better use of AI, technology and data to better serve the public.
The nonprofit, nonpartisan organization said that while the federal government has made progress in recent years in modernizing its services, it still “lacks the technology and technical expertise to keep up with a rapidly changing world.”
“To meet public expectations in the digital age, government agencies must upgrade their outdated IT systems and harness emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence to understand customer data, analyze government performance, and deliver accessible, efficient services that meet the needs of a diverse public,” the report said.
The report points to the 2023 Government Accountability Office's high-risk list, which reveals that the federal government spends 80% of its annual $100 billion IT budget on maintaining existing IT investments, including outdated systems.
The report instead recommends federal agencies invest in modern IT systems that allow them to take advantage of new cutting-edge technology.
“Congress should work with federal agencies to implement a long-term funding strategy to modernize outdated technology systems and strategically prepare for future technology needs,” the report states. “Federal agencies and Congress should also work together to develop uniform rules for the responsible use of AI and other emerging technologies.”
The report also said that while government agencies collect huge amounts of data, much of it goes unused or is “stored in systems that cannot communicate with each other, hindering data sharing and analysis.”
The report says this data is not widely available to agency leaders, members of Congress, or the public, limiting agencies' efforts to improve federal services and exacerbating public distrust of government.
“Top-performing organizations are leveraging data to improve outcomes. For federal agencies and Congress to achieve this, they need new AI tools and high-quality data that can be processed in machine-readable formats,” the report recommends. “That data must then be used to make informed policy decisions.”
Finally, the report highlights that the federal government is lagging behind emerging technologies and lacks the guidelines and processes needed to use AI safely.
“Because AI is a rapidly evolving technology, it is important that government use it thoughtfully. To do so, Congress and government agencies must first develop fair and transparent usage guidelines,” the report advises. “Government agencies should also train and hire experts in the field to ensure that AI tools are safe and achieve their intended purposes.”
These recommendations are just a few of the many contained in the report. The Public Service Partnership also outlines priorities to develop better government leaders, make it easier to hire and retain high-performing civil servants, hold underperforming civil servants accountable, and deliver customer-friendly services to the public.
