How to Use Artificial Intelligence Safely in the Public Sector

Artificial intelligence (AI) is no longer some sci-fi dream. It’s here, and it's already making waves in local government. AI can improve customer service, enhance financial transparency, and handle the tedious stuff no one likes doing.

But AI isn't a magic wand. It needs to be used carefully and thoughtfully. That’s what we covered in our recent webinar. And we brought in some experts in the public sector space to break it all down.

Meet the Experts

Our panelists have impressive backgrounds that make them uniquely qualified to discuss AI in the public sector:

• Parth Shah, CEO of Polimorphic, has been in the AI scene for a decade. He’s an MIT graduate, a United States of America Physics Olympiad Silver Medalist, and an electrical engineer. His company specializes in AI-powered customer service solutions for local governments.

• Matthew Parks, VP of Product & Strategy at SSI, holds a Master of Public Administration degree and has worked in the ERP space for 14 years. He leads partnerships at SSI and focuses on researching how AI can improve SSI's customer service for public sector workers

• Chris Bullock, CEO of ClearGov, is all about efficiency. He has co-founded several companies, worked at NASDAQ for years, and gained experience in sales, marketing, and development. His focus is on using AI to help governments improve transparency and budgeting.

• Tammy Reasoner, Clerk of Council for Amberley Village, manages external communications, redesigned the village website, handles social media, and promotes public safety and policy. She sees AI as a tool that makes information more accessible for both government staff and residents.

• Moderator Danielle Bergey, Marketing Manager at SSI, has worked with international companies, national organizations, nonprofits, and educational institutions in graphic design, editing, writing, and marketing. At SSI, she manages almost all facets of marketing and sees AI as a valuable tool for streamlining content creation.

Common AI Misconceptions

There are plenty of myths about AI. Parth Shah, CEO of Polimorphic, hears them all the time. 

AI doesn’t think like humans. It processes data and finds patterns, but it doesn’t understand or feel. It’s not fully autonomous and still needs human oversight. And while AI is changing jobs, it won’t replace everyone. Many roles still need creativity and emotional intelligence. 

Another thing to remember is that AI isn’t always fair. It can reflect bias from its training data. And it can make mistakes if not regulated correctly. 

Some folks think AI can do everything. Others think it’s here to take over human jobs. Neither is true.

AI is just a tool. AI is only as good as the data it pulls from. If that data is solid, the AI can be incredibly useful. If not, well... let’s just say it gets creative in all the wrong ways. That's when it starts hallucinating. 

If you expect it to do all the work, you’ll be disappointed. But if you use it wisely, it’s a game changer. 

Getting Started with AI

The first step to using AI? Just dive in. Chris Bullock says AI tools like ChatGPT can make work life easier. Need to draft an email? AI’s got it. Meeting minutes? No problem. Budget analysis? Done. The trick is to treat AI like a helpful assistant, not a replacement for human oversight.

Tammy Reasoner shared how AI helps her transcribe meeting minutes and quickly find info on the village website. She summed AI up best: It just saves time on the tedious stuff. And honestly, who doesn’t want that?

Danielle Bergey added that she was initially skeptical but quickly saw the value in using AI for marketing materials. It’s a great way to get that first draft out fast. Then you can add the human element.

How AI is Already Helping Local Governments

We’re not talking about robot mayors (yet). But AI is already making life easier for the public sector. Here’s how:

• Customer Service: Polimorphic has chatbots and voice assistants that answer common questions in dozens of different languages. That means fewer calls piling up for government staff. And reaching segments of the community previously untouched.

• Budgeting & Financial Transparency: ClearGov’s AI helps explain municipal budgets in plain English. No more decoding endless spreadsheets. FirstDraft will analyze it for you.

• Document Processing: AI is speeding up invoice and payment processing with products like AP Automation. That’s a game-changer for ERP solutions like the ones from SSI. 

• Citizen Engagement: Amberley Village is using AI-enhanced search tools to help residents find the information they need faster and more accurately. This includes smoothing out the permitting and licensing process. 

• Infrastructure: Organizations can scan their municipality to create a 3D model. With AI layered on top, you can easily ask questions about city infrastructure, like whether a tree has popped up in front of a sign.

• Utilities: AI can even analyze data from smart meters to predict energy consumption and optimize power distribution. It can also detect issues like leaks or faults in real-time.

Keeping AI Safe and Compliant

AI still needs guardrails. It shouldn’t pull from unreliable sources or share sensitive information. That’s why AI-powered tools should only access approved databases or be given limited information. And anything AI generates should still get a human review before going public.

Accessibility matters, too. Parth explained how AI can help cities stay ADA-compliant. It can provide info in multiple languages and make content easier to access for visually impaired users. That’s not just a nice-to-have—it’s essential with current regulations. 

Tammy Reasoner emphasized that AI-assisted search features also help government employees themselves. Even they forget where things are sometimes. AI makes it easier for staff to serve residents more efficiently.

She added, "It's been great for helping find mistakes on the website, too." This is important! Sometimes, if there is too much information on your website that is unchecked, lawsuits could come your way. Instead, Polimorphic's tools will dissect all of this information to make it freely accessible to all.

The Future of AI in Government

Right now, AI is like a really smart intern. But the next step is AI that can actually complete entire workflows as an assistant would. Matt Parks put it best: “The goal isn’t to replace staff. It’s to free them up for more important work.” That means AI could handle permit applications, monitor infrastructure, and even help plan city improvements. That way, people can work on more important matters, like long-term goals, partnerships, and special projects.

Chris added that AI-driven tools could soon automate even more government tasks, like tracking infrastructure conditions and generating reports based on live data. The key is figuring out what AI should do versus what people should do.

Parth summed it all up by saying AI will be used for beginning permitting processes, answering questions via phone and chat, and shortening workflow and approval processes. That way, public servants can focus on engaging and building a better community.

The Bottom Line: Start Testing It Out

If you view AI as a threat, you may not understand it. The best way to understand it is to test it out. Start small.

Try ChatGPT for writing policies or press releases. Test out Claude in writing emails or social posts. Feed Perplexity different prompts. Use Fathom to take meeting minutes. Set up an AI chatbot to help with resident questions. Play around with different tools and see what works for you.

The key is that AI is a helping hand, not I, Robot. 

Want to see how AI can make your job easier? Reach out to us. We’ll help you figure out the best way to get started.

I'd rather just learn more about Polimorphic...