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How the public sector can prepare for AI in the workforce

Behind the AI “buzz,” thousands of organizations in both the public and private sector are moving quickly to understand AI technologies.


In brief
  • Agencies need to strike a balance between leveraging AI’s benefits, managing its risks and capitalizing on the opportunities it provides.
  • To effectively champion civil servants, government agencies must start by defining an “AI Civil Service Ambition”.
  • Agencies must invest now in developing an agile, resilient workforce and an institutional culture that values agility, resilience and continuous learning.

The conversation around artificial intelligence (AI) has been everywhere the past several months. Headlines about AI’s rapid evolution with the introduction of GPT4 have dominated the news, while videos showcasing the remarkable capabilities of ChatGPT, the generative AI chatbot developed by OpenAI, have gone viral across social media, answering complex queries in just a matter of seconds with shocking quality and accuracy.

Behind the AI “buzz,” thousands of organizations in both the public and private sector are moving quickly to understand these technologies, their potential uses and how to integrate them into their operations. According to IBM, 77% of companies are either currently using AI in their operations or exploring its use for future implementation.

 

And while AI promises to enhance customer and constituent experience, streamline processes, and increase speed to service, among other benefits, it also poses its share of risks. Chief among them is the threat of displacing potentially hundreds of millions of jobs as its capabilities advance to be able to perform key tasks faster and often with higher quality than humans. In the US alone, experts predict approximately 46% of the current workforce to be affected by AI-related disruptions by 2030, according to Forbes.

 

The future of AI in the workforce isn’t grim, however. AI’s entrance in the workforce, particularly in the public sector, presents a tremendous opportunity for organizations to employ talent in ways they never have before – by tapping into the uniquely human capabilities of their civil servants and utilizing employees in high-value ways. For organizations looking to implement AI into their operations, striking the balance between leveraging AI’s tremendous benefits, managing its risks and capitalizing on the opportunities it provides will be critical to successfully navigating the AI era.

 

To navigate the age of AI, government agencies around the world are acting now to understand AI and its impact on the public workforce. By understanding and actively preparing for AI in the workforce in the coming years, government agencies can choose to champion their civil servants by taking action such as building new career pathways for at-risk employees, implementing tailored upskilling programs aimed at building AI-resistant skill sets, and changing the recruitment criteria for new candidates.

Defining your organization’s AI Civil Service Ambition

To effectively champion civil servants, government agencies must start by defining an “AI Civil Service Ambition” – a charter describing how they aspire to continue to support and develop their employees, while integrating AI into operations and utilizing its benefits. Organizations can do this by asking, who is my future civil servant, and how will AI change what that employee will be doing day to day in 10 years? What investments do I need to make in my workforce today to prepare for that future?

Developing a holistic AI Civil Service Ambition lays the groundwork for human-centered AI transformation by considering AI’s impacts across seven dimensions: workforce planning, organization design, employee journey and career pathing, competency and skill development, recruitment, compensation and rewards, and culture and DEIA. For each of these dimensions, understanding AI’s effect on the workforce and asking how to champion the contributions of civil servants in light of these effects can help clearly define an appropriate AI strategy for an agency’s workforce.

The views reflected in this article are the views of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of Ernst & Young LLP or other members of the global EY organization.

Summary

Relentless technical progress will challenge government agencies at the local, state and federal level to rethink the way they deliver constituent services while creating a positive civil service experience. These agencies can champion their civil servants throughout this transformation but doing so requires defining their AI Civil Service Ambition today and investing now in developing an agile, resilient workforce and an institutional culture that values agility, resilience and continuous learning. Government agencies that succeed at this challenge will help position their civil servants to thrive regardless of whatever challenges AI brings to the workforce.

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