A new study by SAS shows that governments worldwide are optimistic about generative AI, but actual implementation lags behind other sectors.
Despite the enthusiasm among government agencies, the SAS study found that only 44 percent of them currently use generative AI, compared to 54 percent in other sectors. Still, 60 percent of government respondents believe AI can drive innovation. Governments already applying artificial intelligence are seeing positive results, such as improved employee satisfaction and savings in operational costs.
Organizational challenges and lack of knowledge
The survey reveals significant organizational hurdles. Government agencies are most concerned about resistance to change (52%), more so than traditional challenges such as data privacy and security (46%). In addition, the public sector lags behind in terms of guidelines and governance. Only 52 percent of public sector organizations have established AI guidelines, compared with 61 percent in other sectors. Government also scores below average in terms of regulations and formal governance frameworks.
There is also a lack of knowledge within government. Only 35 percent of employees are familiar with AI, well below the 46 percent average in other sectors. At the leadership level, only 38 percent of decision makers say they fully understand the impact of AI on business processes.
Limited interest in synthetic data
Despite the benefits of synthetic data, such as ensuring data privacy in sensitive government records, the study found that 32 percent of government decision-makers have no interest in this technology. This is in contrast to 23 percent in other sectors. However, synthetic data can play a crucial role in safely training AI models without exposing sensitive information.
Although government agencies lag behind in the adoption of artificial intelligence, the study shows that willingness to invest is high. In the coming year, 84 percent plan to invest in AI, and 91 percent have already committed budgets to do so.