The government needs to up its game on technology and use of data to better serve the public

The realities of our digital world and customer demand for fast, easy access to services are leading federal agencies to consider novel uses of artificial intelligence and emerging technologies to better serve the American public. 

Employees across government now use new tech to review patent applications, procure services, accept paperless tax correspondence, declassify documents and process Freedom of Information Act requests, and more. In each case, automation and machine learning, in combination with human oversight and guidance, enable agencies to work quicker, save taxpayer dollars and analyze large amounts of data to deliver modern services that meet the needs and expectations of the 21st-century customer.  

Unfortunately, these types of success stories are far and few between. Despite pockets of progress, the government is still behind the curve when it comes to modern technology and AI. 

At a time when several aspects of government skew older—its workforce, its pay system, even its buildings—it is perhaps its outdated IT systems that stand out the most. 

According to the 2023 Government Accountability Office’s High Risk List, the government spends 80% of its annual $100 billion IT budget on operating and maintaining existing IT investments, including old systems, that use antiquated software, are vulnerable to security breaches and unable to employ new AI tools. 

As a result, data on agency operations is often housed in systems that cannot communicate with each other, hampering data sharing and analytics that could be used to improve services and present Congress and the public with a fuller picture of government performance. 

Agencies also lack a coherent set of guidelines and processes needed to mitigate privacy and bias concerns over AI, and suffer from a shortage of talent equipped with the skills and expertise to manage and implement new tech. Today, less than 5% of full-time federal IT employees are younger than age 30, while nearly 52% are over 50.

These shortcomings lead to slow and inaccessible public services and make it difficult for federal employees to deliver consistent and equitable services, which exacerbate the public’s lack of trust in government and reinforce negative stereotypes that it lacks innovation and transparency.

To meet the public expectations of the digital era, Congress must work with federal agencies to implement  the following recommendations on technology and data as part of a package of five significant governmental reforms outlined in my organization’s recently published Vision for a Better Government.  

• Invest in modern IT systems. First and foremost, Congress needs to budget for technology investments so agencies can modernize badly outdated tech systems. A long-term funding strategy would enable agencies to migrate multiple older systems to one updated system and plan for future tech needs. 

• Commit to quality data. To make informed policy decisions, federal agencies and Congress need high-quality data that can be processed by new AI tools and machine-readable formats. This means collecting and standardizing data, scrubbing it for accuracy, and inputting it into high-tech storage systems. These systems should be interoperable—that is, able to connect with each other to share the data they house—and agencies need to create data-sharing agreements to make this exchange possible. 

• Use and scale AI responsibly. Federal agencies and Congress also should collaborate to develop uniform guidelines around the responsible use of AI and other emerging technologies that are fair and transparent. Doing so requires not only better technology, but the expertise required to manage and implement technology correctly. Training and hiring tech experts to ensure AI tools are safe and meet their intended goals is key. While the federal hiring process is in desperate need of reform, there are signs, like the National AI Talent Surge and AI Corps, that the government is opening its doors to more much-needed talent. My organization, the Partnership for Public Service, has also trained hundreds of senior executives through its AI Federal Leadership Program, a potential model for others looking to help leaders master AI fundamentals. 

Today, old IT systems and a lack of tech talent are forcing our government to play catch up in the digital era. These long overdue reforms would accelerate change, enabling the better use of artificial intelligence, emerging technology and high-quality data to provide people with more efficient, accessible and customer-friendly service. They should be prioritized by the incoming administration, Congress and federal agencies to transform our government into an institution that meets the needs and expectations of today’s public. 

Jenny Mattingley is the vice president for government affairs at the nonpartisan, nonprofit Partnership for Public Service, an organization dedicated to building a better government and a stronger democracy.