5 Ways Governments are using AI to Build Trust Among Citizens

AI has come far from its early days. From being a part of fiction to being used in daily life, AI has crossed over from being something imaginary to concrete reality. AI has been evolving at breakneck speed thanks to the breakneck speed of technological advancements. The origin of AI was very humble, developed to play games like chess and checkers and yet today AI is responsible for tracking user behavior and preferences by social media sites and internet giants to promote and provide content that the user would prefer.

AI has been playing a significant part in our internet as well as daily experiences thanks to its usage in algorithms, operating systems, language translation, automated systems, home and smartphone assistants, self-driving cars, etc. The introduction of AI in our daily lives has significantly improved our quality of life and the services we employ.

Decision-Making Ability of AI

AI is in essence machine, computer programs that are programmed to carry out their assigned task. What differentiates them from conventional computer programs is their ability to learn from their work. They evolve and get better at what they do, becoming much more efficient and reliable, just like humans. AI uses data and what it has learned to reach what it thinks is the most suitable solution and every time it makes a mistake, it learns from it. This allows an AI to reach efficiency levels that humans cannot as once an AI has reached its optimal state, the probability of an error is close to 0.

This data-driven approach to management and problem solving has made AI the answer to long-standing problems like resource allocation, usage and allowed businesses and governments alike to extract maximum efficiency from their management systems. This efficient and error-free decision-making has made AI popular with governments across the globe for the implementation of their policies, welfare schemes and provides services to the general population.

How can Governments Use AI?

But AI is not limited to just increasing the efficiency of processes, it can be used to build trust in the government and show the people that the government does actually care about them. As per a 2019 study, only 45% of people in OECD countries trust their governments.[1] People’s trust in their government is the foundation of their trust in public institutions, reforms, and policies of the government and thus essential for maintaining order and carry on economic development in the country.

AI can be a significant tool for the government to build trust in government services and policies among citizens. AI operates on real-time data and feedback and is constantly getting better at what it does. An AI-run resource distribution program can allow governments to efficiently allocate resources based on consumption and wastage data which ensures that the resources are allocated fairly.

The number of ways in which AI can be implemented to ensure efficiency as well as improve public trust in government is numerous, but for this article, we will be focusing on 5 major ways in which AI can help the government to build public trust.

  • Transparency - AI-driven services are a small fraction of all the services that are provided by a government to its citizens. Although AI has not taken over most of the services and their functionality, there is a sense of unease because of the data privacy issues that revolve around AI. An open and transparent system that allows citizens and experts to see what data is being used and collected[2] by an AI for its functioning can foster trust in the said AI service and by the association on the government. A blog by World Bank discusses how AI can create transparency and identify and bring about the end of corruption.
  • Responsibility - AI-driven services and programs will only increase in size and impact in the future. More and more services that use AI will be deployed and be used to provide essential services to the general population. In such cases, the government needs to come out and take responsibility for the creation of a responsible AI program that respects data privacy and ensures that these AI programs are not being misused. By assuring the citizens of the safety of the AI, governments can create a sense of security and reliability on the government. In India, the Uttar Pradesh government used AI which analyzed live footage from over 1100 cameras during the “2019 Prayagraj Kumbh Mela”[4] which would raise an alert anytime the crowd density exceeded a set threshold in any given area.
  • Ethical - One of the core issues that surround any new invention or breakthrough in technology is its ethical implications. It is thus important that the design of AI systems incorporates ethical principles that provide for transparency and accountability from the get-go. This 2019 World Government Summit report[5] delves deep within the ethical implications of the usage of AI and how governments should frame governance guidelines for AI. It is the duty of the government to ensure that AI-based systems are based on and reflect societal values. AI is different from a legal entity and as such has no accountability, and therefore the accountability needs to be fixed along with ensuring that it operates on human-first principles.
  • Skilled Workforce - To build trust in the AI and the government in return, governments need to hire the best of talent in the field to build and maintain their AI services. Only by retaining skilled AI developers and data security experts and upskilling the existing workforce[6] can ensure that its AI services are well guarded against malicious hackers and harmful programs which in turn will keep user data safe. A government that is committed to data security and providing its citizens with the best possible services is bound to be trusted and relied upon by the population.
  • Policy Framework - A straightforward way of regulating the AI sector and maintaining control over AI services is through developing policies, regulations, and principles for the AI services. These policies can be brought up by discussions in the public forum and through high-level committees as well as through the houses of the parliament. A sound policy framework that leaves no loophole to be exploited and provides a solid framework for the AI services to rely and work upon will boost the public image of the AI services as well the government implementing such reforms and regulations. Policies can be used effectively to ensure data security as well as compliance with the rules and laws of the land to ensure that the services operate legally.

The biggest concern of AI-driven public services is that of data security. A government can significantly reduce such concerns by taking appropriate steps that fall within the 5 ways mentioned in the article. A skilled workforce that is capable of fending off security threats is not vulnerable to quitting due to ethical issues about transparency and usage of the AI-driven services and operates on a robust and transparent policy framework is a major boost of confidence for the general population. A responsible government can thus create trust among citizens through its careful usage of AI and the implementation of related policies and regulations.

References

[1].https://www.oecd.org/governance/trust-in-government.htm

[2].https://www.lexology.com/library/detail.aspx?g=bec69df8-9245-4d8f-a756- f6b006396291

[3].https://blogs.worldbank.org/governance/can-artificial-intelligence-stop-corruption-its-tracks

[4].https://blogs.worldbank.org/governance/can-artificial-intelligence-stop-corruption-its-tracks

[5].https://www.world government summit.org/docs/default-source/default-document-library/deloitte-wgs-report-en-lq.pdf?sfvrsn=1acfc90b_0

[6].https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2020/10/ai-jobs/

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