In the face of rapidly expanding generative AI capabilities, the U.S. Government stands at a crossroads: integrate AI to change the way it does business, or let it rest in business as usual.
The DoD announced recently its objective to modernize the force through accelerating the adoption of AI, data and analytics across the Defense Department. One of the most effective ways they can do this is by taking a mission-focused approach, figuring out how to use AI to solve the mundane, boring, time-wasting problems that are preventing our workforce from doing the thoughtful and creative work that only a human being can do.
A case in point: Too many government-paid employees spend their days as data janitors, managing endless spreadsheets. The Chief Information Officer of a large logistics agency recently told us, “Data is not a problem. We have tons of data. It's just badly organized.” His data isn’t tagged, isn’t readily usable, and dates back to the 1950s with no means of fixing it.
If we put time and energy into building AI products that correctly tag old data, we would immediately see benefits. Government workers would be freed up to do more, better, smarter things that people do best. This could drive efficiencies across the government, freeing up time and money to be invested in higher priority activities.
Mission-Focused AI
This is just one use case. Others exist and can be surfaced using a mission-focused approach.
Here’s how it could work:
Start with curating problems in areas where staffing is in short supply and automation would genuinely alleviate pain points. Look for areas where time is the primary factor rather than cost.
Next, engage a dozen or more non-traditional industry experts over the course of a few days to introduce powerful insight into those curated problems. Learn about ways AI is being used, or could potentially be used, in similar commercial cases.
Lastly, gather insights from key staff to guide decision making going forward.
The Army’s 18th Airborne Corps’ Maven Smart System serves as an example of building and implementing mission-centric AI tools that directly improve battlefield conditions. Fundamentals that led to its success included:
- Involving external tech companies that were heroically flexible and willing to meet specific requirements for mission efficacy;
- Placing well-trained, communicative leaders in positions to clear hurdles while enabling innovative staff to solve problems; and
- Maintaining adaptability as AI evolves, to allow for openness to changes in direction and seizing new opportunities.
Averting a legacy systems train wreck
The savings realized by integrating AI in this way could go a long way to free up the government workforce to do more important things than manage data in spreadsheets. By identifying the most basic and simple problems needing our attention and solving them at speed, we can close the gap where legacy systems are being left further and further behind (to a point where it is unlikely they will ever catch up).
Right now, there’s a mindset of, “That's great! You did better, therefore, your budget is reduced.” This leaves no incentive to improve. But if you incentivize organizations by reinvesting money saved through AI back into their budgets to train staff in how to best use modern technology, the government could start to see real change happen.
Training staff in an era of generative AI
Opportunity exists at the intersection of staff intellect and big-data AI through large language models. Building methods to help employees understand a query and how to then validate that query is important. Further, building the basic skills needed to interact and critically analyze within a thoughtful decision-making process decreases information gathering time. People will always have to validate sources and use their experience to test AI responses, however, with repetition trust and accuracy will dramatically improve.
AI can’t be seen as just some futuristic system. It must be used NOW to help us make better, faster, more accurate decisions that will empower leaders to get more work done. By starting with an attack on the mundane work that consumes the time of civil servants – bogging them down, disempowering them, and contributing to low retention and recruitment rates, we will see amazing results while freeing those public servants to use their creativity to solve even harder problems. Moreover, those same public servants will gain the experience needed to push AI solutions even further into their workflows, creating new momentum for their organizations.
There's a long way to go, but it’s an exciting time to stand on the launchpad of capabilities within AI. How it’s used, and how the government adapts it and incentivizes its own agencies, will make all the difference.
