Dive Brief:
- While 57% of public sector leaders are exploring artificial intelligence, only 16% are actively piloting AI projects, a Euna Solutions survey of 58 finance and operations leaders released last week found. Less than 2% are broadly deploying AI across departments.
- Privacy and security concerns are the top roadblock to AI adoption in the public sector, cited by 57% of those surveyed. Lack of clear state and federal guidance concerning AI (48%), outdated existing technology to support AI (37%) and lack of resources to take on an AI initiative (37%) were also cited as roadblocks.
- “The findings in this report show strong interest but cautious adoption,” Euna Solutions CEO Tom Amburgey stated in the report. “Risk, unclear policy, legacy systems, and limited bandwidth slow progress, but leaders are eager to learn and move thoughtfully.”
Dive Insight:
Many cities are forging ahead with AI adoption, including San Francisco, which last year made AI tools available to 30,000 city employees for data analysis and memo summarizing. Bellingham and Everett, Washington, also employ AI to help with drafting, research and internal policy making, according to the survey.
Among public sector leaders surveyed by Euna Solutions, 68% said they hope AI can enable more productivity and time savings, 29% see promise for using AI in procurement and project generation, and 27% expect AI to deliver in forecasting and scenario planning projects. A quarter of respondents also said grant research and matching could benefit from AI.
Efficiency is the survey respondents’ primary goal for using AI, with 40% measuring AI success by staff hours saved. Another 16% are seeking compliance improvements, while 14% are looking for cost savings and 13% want faster processing times.
“AI works when it removes friction from critical workflows,” the report states. “Addressing these age-old dilemmas would free staff to focus on mission-critical work.”
The report states that AI can become part of the public sector’s “next generation of infrastructure” but cautions that while interest is high, “readiness is not.”
