The Flemish government is using AI technology developed by Cegeka and Microsoft to accelerate the control of subsidies.
The Flemish Supervision and Audit Service (VTS) is now using AI agents to make subsidy control more efficient. This digital assistance gives auditors more time for the substantive assessment of cases. Cegeka is involved as a technology partner in the project.
The VTS oversees the use of public funds within the Flemish government, accounting for an annual subsidy budget of 18 billion euros and more than 60,000 beneficiaries. This scale makes the verification of submitted supporting documents labor-intensive. By deploying AI technology, the service aims to reduce this workload.
First Check in Six Seconds
The development of the solution came about in collaboration with Cegeka and Microsoft, and originated during a hackathon. The AI auditors check submitted invoices in just six seconds and take over repetitive tasks, such as gathering information from external sources. This gives human auditors room again to focus on the core of the audit.
According to Cegeka, thanks to the use of AI, several core processes at VTS have been optimized. All submitted supporting documents can now be automatically assessed, significantly reducing the turnaround time of audits.
Expansion Planned
The initial results show an increase in the number of completed audits. According to VTS, efficiency has noticeably improved with a relatively limited investment. The organization is now considering whether the approach can be extended to other Flemish government entities.
VTS emphasizes that the use of AI contributes to better spending of public funds while also strengthening control over potential fraud. With this project, the service also aims to achieve a broader societal impact through more efficient digital processes within the government.