Kevin C. Desouza

Quantum computing is evolving from the fantastical to the achievable. Accelerated developments show promise for leveraging quantum computing to address previously intractable problems in government. The technology can foster immense potential benefits for the public, alongside far-reaching implications from using quantum technologies are likely to be widespread. Developing “quantum-safe” capabilities is crucial to maintaining data security and integrity for critical applications. Government leaders face an urgent need to develop a quantum-safe strategy and roadmap. 

National governments have created AI-related strategies, frameworks, and guidelines on the ethical use of AI. Yet while people have faith in AI to produce good and reliable outcomes, they have questions about the safety and security of AI systems. Specifically, this concerns public trust in AI itself, and trust in government to develop mechanisms to successfully deploy and manage such a powerful technology. These issues cover trust in AI in the context of design, development, deployment, and evaluation of public services and public policy.

Critical challenges that agencies face include the increasing volume of incidents and emergencies, overly complex trade and immigration processes, and evolving threats to borders and customs. Governments can leverage data, AI, intelligent automation, and other emerging technologies to address these complex challenges—while also freeing up critical human resources for high value missions.

The technology is revolutionizing the way we derive value and insights from data in order to improve our daily lives. In addition, governments gather a treasure trove of pertinent data that can be used to execute important missions and improve services to the citizen. An effective AI program can greatly enhance the ability of the public sector to deliver on that promise.

The author takes this real-world experience to set forth a framework for agencies to plan, develop, and deploy AI systems. He then puts forward a set of challenges for government leaders and innovators in this space, along with opportunities for agencies to act in addressing these challenges. Finally, Desouza outlines a maturity model for agencies to use in guiding their journey forward in applying AI to improve mission performance.

Information technology has made possible the availability of real-time data and the tools to display that data, such as dashboards, scorecards, and heat maps. This has boosted the use of data and evidence by government decision makers in meeting their agency and program missions. But what about the use of performance metrics by agency chief information officers themselves?