New research from Salesforce suggests that the current AI skills gap is a major barrier hindering public sector projects.
Of the public IT professionals surveyed, 60% noted the shortage of AI skills as their leading implementation challenge.
Casey Coleman, SVP of Global Government Solutions for Salesforce, commented: “Training and skills development are critical first steps for the public sector to leverage the benefits of AI.
“By investing in new skills like prompt development, public sector leaders can empower their workforce to use AI to increase productivity, build deeper relationships with constituents, and improve the quality of public services.”
Analysing the public sector skills shortage
Despite shortages being a challenge across all industries, the public sector experiences the most pronounced gap in AI skills.
Merely 28% of IT professionals in the public sector consider themselves experts in utilising generative AI for their work, with only 32% claiming expertise in understanding generative AI applications like data analytics.
Overall, just 30% feel they are proficient in implementing AI within their organisations, hindering the advancement of frontline citizen services throughout the public sector.
Following the scarcity of AI skills, 38% of public sector personnel identified data quality as the second most significant obstacle impeding their AI implementation, with 36% citing data security as the subsequent concern.
Sheila Flavell CBE, Chief Operating Officer for FDM Group, added: “In the face of a growing skills gap hindering AI adoption in the public sector, organisations must take control and prioritise skills training for staff so they can understand and implement AI safely and effectively.
“Balancing speed with mitigating risks is a central challenge for all organisations, but without proper skills training, the challenge becomes even more difficult.
“The public sector should implement training schemes to upskill and reskill staff, equipping them with the necessary specialist skills to lead innovations in AI and ultimately deliver the best results for frontline public sector projects.”
How AI can optimise the public sector
Deloitte suggests that AI could save hundreds of millions of government staffs hours and billions of pounds annually.
Enhancing AI implementation in the public sector promises myriad advantages, including automating routine tasks, mitigating risks, and elevating customer experience, identified as the foremost benefits.
AI holds immense promise in revolutionising productivity within the public sector. Through AI-driven automation, bureaucratic processes can be streamlined, reducing administrative burdens and enabling public servants to focus on high-value tasks.
Tasks such as data entry, form processing, and document classification can be automated, freeing up valuable time and resources.
AI-powered analytics provide government agencies with invaluable insights gleaned from vast datasets, enhancing decision-making processes and policy formulation.
In terms of citizen services, AI-driven chatbots offer round-the-clock assistance, addressing inquiries and providing information efficiently.
Additionally, personalised recommendations and notifications based on individual preferences and behaviours enhance citizen engagement and satisfaction.
However, to leverage these immense benefits of AI, considerable work must be done in training and upskilling across the public sector.
Elizabeth Anderson, CEO of Digital Poverty Alliance, explained: “There is no doubt that AI is transforming the way organisations, including public sector departments, are operating and helping to drive efficiencies, but we must also remind ourselves that AI is at risk of worsening the digital divide.
“Everyone needs basic digital skills training to access essential online utilities, yet organisations are looking to run before the country can walk by chasing AI, leaving millions behind unable to access online services.
“The situation calls for immediate action, and digital skills training should be at the centre of the manifesto for the incoming government.”
