Alexander Ratkovsky, Managing Director, Emerging Industries & Technologies, Asia Pacific, Japan, Middle East and Africa, DXC Technology shares insights on the role of AI in MEA’s public sector
Government agencies in the MEA region often struggle with a myriad of repetitive and time-consuming tasks, mountains of data that need to be managed, and complex processes that can drain resources and hinder productivity.
Meanwhile, citizens and residents are looking for more transparency from governments about the work they do, a more efficient way of engaging, and easier access to public services without getting lost in a maze of online forms and confusing websites.
Autonomous decision-making is here to help
The good news is that AI can be a powerful force in helping government organizations make decisions, improve services, and get work done. And we’re starting to see governments using AI agents, in particular, to analyze vast datasets at incredible speeds, gain in-depth insights they can put to work immediately, automate processes, and enhance their services.
The UAE is pursuing its ambitious Strategy for Artificial Intelligence 2031 that involves adopting advanced AI tools to increase efficiency of government work and boost customer experience. The country was the first in the world to appoint a Minister of State for Artificial Intelligence. Meanwhile, Saudi Arabia is implementing the National Strategy for Data and AI as part of its transformative Vision 2030, mandating government entities to embrace the responsible utilization of AI.
What we see coming next are multi-agent systems, composed of multiple interacting intelligent agents. In a new approach, called Agentic AI, systems will be able to augment human work by understanding and interpreting complex information and goals, and then taking actions based on continuous learning and analyses of extensive datasets.
The Agentic AI approach is particularly well-suited to addressing the needs of public sector organizations in the following three ways:
1. Improved efficiency
An AI multi-agent system acts as a team of expert co-workers with the knowledge needed to collaborate on complex tasks, available 24×7.
Decisions are made in the context of specific use cases. Patterns and trends that traditional methods may have missed are identified, and complex workflows are adjusted in real time as circumstances evolve. This allows human workers to focus on higher-value tasks.
Agentic AI can improve efficiency for public sector workers in the following ways:
- Knowledge retrieval agent: Retrieves relevant information from regulations, policies, and procedures to provide real-time answers to queries.
- Sentiment analysis agent: Monitors the tone and sentiment of the caller in real time, alerting the human agent if the caller is becoming frustrated or upset, and suggesting appropriate responses to de-escalate the situation.
- Follow-up agent: Manages follow-up actions, such as sending emails or scheduling callbacks, ensuring that no task is overlooked.
2. Improved government outcomes
With careful implementation, the multi-agent approach has the potential to deliver transformative outcomes that go beyond improvements in efficiency and engagement to include:
- Faster decision making: Examples include determining eligibility for grants, allowances, or support services.
- Improved data interpretation: Agents can be used to improve fraud detection, resulting in increased revenues to spend on public services, among other examples.
- Data-driven insights: Agentic AI can process and analyze large volumes of data to provide actionable insights for policymakers and service providers. This can lead to more informed decisions and a better allocation of resources.
3. Better customer experiences
Beyond the ability to increase capacity, Agentic AI has the potential to improve customer experiences in multiple ways:
- Personalization: Agentic AI can gather and analyze individual data to provide personalized recommendations for services or benefits, ensuring that customers receive the information most relevant to them.
- Customized communications: AI can adapt communication styles and language based on customer preferences, making interactions more user-friendly and accessible.
- Early intervention: AI can identify patterns that indicate potential issues for customers (e.g., financial distress, health risks) and alert relevant authorities to intervene early.
- Improved access to services: By simplifying interfaces and providing contextual understanding, Agentic AI opens the door to improving access and use of the data sources available across multiple government departments.
Agentic AI can enable the public sector in the MEA region to meet the needs of citizens and residents who expect consumer-like experiences from government agencies, transforming customer journeys and ushering in a new era of efficiency.
