As governments and institutions reflect on the future of public services of discussion and awareness around AI, one thing is clear: AI can make daily public services more efficient, fair, and accessible, but only if it is used carefully, ethically, and with humans firmly in the loop. Done right, it is a tool for public good. Done poorly, it risks scaling harm.

At Axians, we work with our public-sector clients to develop AI-powered solutions that have already delivered numerous practical improvements, including:

  • Service delivery:
    Automating paperwork, processing benefits, and answering routine questions via chatbots.
  • Decision support:
    Helping detect fraud, predict citizens’ needs, and allocate resources to services.
  • Accessibility:
    Translation tools, speech-to-text, and assistive technologies that make public services easier to use for people.

In addition, from the perspective of internal efficiency and effectiveness, AI capabilities accelerate code development, generate comprehensive test cases, and support effective information management across teams, among other efficiency-driving contributions.

At the same time, it is essential to recognize and address the risks associated with AI and to adopt a governance approach that effectively mitigates them. One of the most critical aspects is the selection and quality of the data used to train AI models. If AI systems are trained on biased or incomplete data, they may inadvertently reinforce structural inequalities, particularly in sensitive areas such as policing or welfare eligibility.

Another significant concern relates to the opacity of many AI models. These so-called black-box systems often provide limited visibility into how decisions are made, which is fundamentally misaligned with the public sector’s obligation to ensure transparency and justify decisions that affect citizens. This challenge is heightened by the fact that governments manage highly sensitive information. Any misuse, mishandling, or security breach can severely undermine public trust.

Over-automation also represents a notable risk. Excessive reliance on AI can displace essential human judgment in decisions that have a substantial impact on people’s lives. It is therefore imperative to strike a careful balance, leveraging AI to enhance efficiency and accuracy while ensuring that critical decisions remain under human oversight and are guided by ethical, transparent, and accountable frameworks.

The challenge lies in striking the right balance between maximizing the technological capabilities available and ensuring full compliance with regulatory requirements and expectations. At Axians, we actively pursue this balance in every project we deliver, bringing together technical and legal expertise and operating consistently in line with our values of ethics and compliance.

The public services landscape is still marked by proof-of-concept and extensive experimentation. The journey is only beginning. Progress is welcome, provided it is accompanied by the necessary safeguards to ensure that benefits are maximized, and risks are effectively minimized.