AI could save the public sector billions — if it is willing to open up
- Generative AI could save the public sector billions in the next 5 years
- More routine tasks could be automated to free up time for creatives
- More than half of public sector jobs will be changed in some way in coming years
New research has revealed the UK public sector could save billions in expenditure by fully embracing generative AI technology.
The ‘AI & The Public Sector’ commissioned by Google Cloud has highlighted the ways the public sector could save around £38bn over the next 5 years by adopting more GenAI adoption.
Perhaps unsurprisingly, the report predicts that ‘automating routine tasks’ will be the future of AI tools in the workplace, and that over a third of daily tasks in the public sector could be performed by generative AI.
A new way forward
The report rightly points out many public sector organizations are under huge pressure, with 61% of public administration workers overworked, and 70% of respondents agreeing that employee morale has decreased.
To combat this, generative AI solutions should be embraced by public organizations, the report suggests. Currently, only 12% of public administrators say they have significantly deployed AI tools.
By letting generative AI automate administrative work, the public sector could unlock an extra 3.7 million GP appointments, the equivalent of 160,000 police officers, and a 16% increase in student to teacher ratio – a cumulative value of £358bn by 2034. This would free up 8.3% of the budget for re-investment into our public services, the report says.
“Now the digital centre of government, my department is testing how we can put AI to work in the public sector, whether that’s speeding up finding information on GOV.UK or empowering teachers by reducing administrative burdens, allowing them to dedicate more time to what they do best,” said UK Technology Secretary Peter Kyle.
Job augmentation
Over half of public sector jobs (56%) are likely to be ‘augmented’ in some way by AI adoption, the report claims, optimistically predicting workers will be allowed more time for creative focus.
Even with full AI implementation, the report estimates that 38% of roles are ‘insulated’ and won’t be affected by AI adoption thanks to their inherent sensitivity. The remaining 6% of jobs will be ‘displaced’ or phased out.
However Google Cloud says the demand for public sector labour will grow, so displaced workers will simply be reallocated into new roles. This echoes other recent studies, which for example have shown IT service desks could ‘go extinct’.
Early stages of adoption
The study shows there are barriers to AI implementation that need to be addressed before the public sector is ready to embrace AI. Applicability is part of the concern, with over half of respondents (55%) agreeing they would need different or better structured data sets to use AI effectively.
Many workers are also uncertain about the security, legal liabilities, and costs of AI tools, and before workplaces take full advantage of AI, more education is needed, as over a third (34%) say they don’t have the skills to benefit from AI tech just yet.
There are significant concerns about the reliability of AI output too, but Google Cloud reassures these worries are ‘likely to fade on their own as the technology becomes more mature’.
Governments leading the way
Google Cloud has identified public sector AI adoption as a key driver to wider AI adoption across all industries. As part of Government commitments to using AI in public services, organizations should conduct AI adoption assessments in key sectors such as health, transport, and education.
This will allow agencies to identify barriers to AI deployment and address any roadblocks. Procurement teams should be ’empowered and upskilled’ on the importance of AI adoption so that they can effectively assess their needs.
An overhaul of government IT systems is needed to efficiently adopt AI, says Google Cloud. Legacy IT systems, data storage capacity, and an absence of advanced cloud data analytics are all hindering the development of AI in the public sector, it says.
Untold costs
What the report doesn’t address, is the cost of generative AI adoption. The costs are multi-faceted, with AI demanding a huge amount of energy to run, and also an enormous amount of water to cool high performing hardware.
The AI industry is already in the midst of a serious sustainability crisis, so large-scale adoption in both the public and private sectors could have disastrous consequences for climate protection goals.
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