Public Service

Conversational AI makes human services more human

May 3, 2019

RESEARCH REPORT

In brief

Conversational AI includes chatbots and virtual assistants that can engage and support citizens, delivering easy and personalized service.
These always-available virtual advisers can free workers from low-end repetitive tasks and allow them to focus on high-value, human-centric tasks.
In addition to improving citizen and employee experience, chatbots and virtual assistants can help Human Services agencies drive better outcomes.

Conversational AI can reduce low-end, repetitive tasks by 20%—a full day a week for workers. How would you use that extra capacity?

Conversational AI helping citizens

Always-available virtual advisers engage and support citizens, delivering easy and personalized service. For example, people could receive career advice and benefits recommendations. Or they could authenticate and enroll in benefits using voice or face biometrics without the need to provide any ID.

Conversational AI enabling caseworkers

Bots work alongside caseworkers to automate standard case management and direct efforts to discovering and addressing high-risk cases. AI will provide the opportunity to reskill the workforce, moving workers away from routine tasks to focus on higher-value, more rewarding activities.

Conversational AI advising leaders

Virtual advisors support managers and leaders by providing new insights. AI can simplify reporting, allow verbal information requests and help direct resources to areas of need.

Seventy-five percent of Human Services executives agree that AI will work next to humans in their organization as a co-worker, collaborator and trusted advisor within the next two years.

Have the right data

Design a big data strategy and supporting architecture. Engineer a flexible data model and virtualize content. Integrate with the larger citizen data ecosystem.

Invest in capabilities

Map the service delivery value chain with AI usage scenarios. Build AI capabilities as a platform. Train and improve AI platform’s self-learning abilities.

Skills and culture

Define an AI governance model. Build a multidisciplinary workforce with skills in business analytics and AI. Aim for finetuned AI capabilities within an agile, insight-driven digital organization.

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Citizens would like government to deliver more artificial intelligence-enabled services, but they aren’t confident it can be done ethically. That’s a trust issue, which CIOs can help solve by requiring AI fairness.

RELATED: Accenture’s Ryan Oakes and Rick Webb discuss recent research that uncovered citizen’s views on government use of AI in a recent Government Technology article, Answering the Call for Responsible AI in Government.