Our public services are nearing breaking point. Citizens are too often unable to access help in their time of need and public sector staff are overburdened, disgruntled, and exiting the workforce. Our services are responding to one crisis after another, rather than having the capacity to predict and prevent future crises.
In this paper we make the case for embedding AI within a reform agenda previously set out by Demos called “Liberated Public Services” – a model which liberates public service professionals to work in partnership with empowered citizens and communities. We set out a systemic vision for embedding AI in public services that will not only improve the quality of services, but will strengthen the foundations of our reformed public services.
We describe how to embed AI within Liberated Public Services to:
- support prevention and better long-term outcomes using predictive modelling;
- empower frontline service professionals to create more locally responsive services by using AI to free up time spent on administrative tasks; and
- improve communication and collaboration with citizens through AI-enabled civic technology and more effective information sharing.
AI will not save our public services, but it can be used to support the kind of radical change our public services desperately need. At Demos, we believe that to be successful, AI adoption in the public sector must be grounded in a Liberated Public Service reform agenda.