Disclaimer: Please note that outputs generated from artificial intelligence models are not always accurate and can generate incorrect information, also known as hallucinations. We strongly recommend independently verifying AI-generated results to ensure accuracy.
How to Use This Playbook
The playbook is meant to support civil servants in using generative AI (GenAI) to help them perform their work more effectively and efficiently. It describes practical, readymade solutions in doing so, focusing on:
- Simplifying your daily tasks and data analyses;
- Making internal resources easier to find or decipher; and
- Building your team’s ability to use GenAI tools and capabilities responsibly.
While GenAI’s potential uses are limitless, this playbook will focus on common and high-value practices that support a variety of civil servants in your work.
The Opportunity with GenAI to Aid Your Work
Civil servants around the world are under increasing pressure to meet the growing demands of the public, with limited resources and tight budgets. Delivering effective public services while navigating administrative burdens and operational hurdles can leave teams feeling stretched too thin. In an environment where you need to achieve more with less to maximize program outcomes, many civil servants are looking for ways to reduce these challenges to focus on higher-level work that drives impact.
Artificial Intelligence (AI), particularly generative AI (GenAI), offers a significant opportunity to give teams more of their time and capacity back. Recent studies suggest that in the public sector, generative AI could increase $480 billion in productivity value. (McKinsey, 2023). By automating repetitive tasks, streamlining processes, and supporting faster decision-making, incorporating GenAI will boost productivity and relieve workload. However, utilizing GenAI tools requires an informed, ethical, and practical approach.
How to Determine if GenAI is the best tool for the situation?
GenAI can be extremely helpful in your day-to-day tasks, especially tasks that involve identifying patterns, generating ideas, and providing recommendations. But, GenAI is not the best fit for every job. Understanding when GenAI tools work well and when they don’t is just as important as learning about how they work.
This decision tree will help you determine if using a GenAI tool will be a helpful option for the task you are considering:
If you are considering using a GenAI tool for work, consult your department or agency’s guidelines beforehand. Policies can range from national policies such as the United Arab Emirates’ AI Framework in Government Services or ministry-specific policies like New Zealand’s Ministry of Education Guidance on the Acceptable Use of Artificial Intelligence.
Compliance and Security Protocols for using AI in Government Settings
Adopting GenAI systems in governmental operations can make a big difference in how quickly and efficiently things get done. It can help you improve your productivity, reduce backlogs, and create faster, more responsive public services. At the same time, AI adoption can spark new challenges, particularly around data security and ethical concerns, and ensuring tools are used responsibly. Considering AI models learn from public information and chat logs, users need to be mindful of these risks.
Responsible and ethical use of AI means making sure that these technologies are developed and used in ways that benefit society while minimizing potential harm. Using AI responsibly and ethically is about creating systems that are transparent, fair, and accountable, addressing concerns like bias, discrimination, and privacy violations. Both GenAI users and government leaders must consider ethics in AI adoption to address issues like bias, privacy, and accountability, ensuring these technologies preserve public trust.
Compliance and security protocols for using AI in government settings vary by country and region. However, many intergovernmental organizations, such as ASEAN and the UN, are developing common standards to help civil servants use AI safely and responsibly. While specific protocols may differ depending on the department and kind of work, these emerging AI frameworks aim to ensure security and compliance across governmental AI usage. Data protection and retention policies and agencies in different regions, such as the National Data Protection Authority in Brazil, are more and more utilized to provide guidelines as part of these efforts.
Below are some common guidelines for security and compliance for civil servants utilizing Gen AI tools:
Do’s
- Use only unclassified data for AI applications to protect sensitive and confidential information.
- Set the tool to prevent saving conversations to ensure privacy and protect data security.
- Understand the basics of generative AI, including its limitations
- Review AI-generated materials for potential bias, harmful language, or misinformation before use
- Use AI for specific tasks such as translation, refining writing and grammar, brainstorming ideas, manual or repetitive tasks, summarizing information
- Follow your agency’s policies and procedures related to AI governance, data governance, privacy, and security to ensure legal and ethical compliance.
- Disclose the use of generative AI in official work and decision-making processes to maintain transparency.
- Consult with your agency on approved technologies that can be used for official business
Dont’s
- Do not use AI for legal or policy advice
- Do not rely on AI as the sole source of information for operational decisions
- Do not use AI tools with publicly inaccessible information, including client cases or confidential data, especially on public or unsecured platforms.
- *Do not create content or images of people without proper consent or ethical oversight
- *Do not use AI to spread misinformation or harmful content
*Creating harmful content or images of people is a significant issue in the responsible use of AI. Governments worldwide are actively working to set guidelines to protect personal rights, prevent privacy violations, and avoid the spread of misinformation created by AI systems.
Sources
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McKinsey & Company. (n.d.). Unlocking the potential of generative AI: Three key questions for government agencies. Retrieved from https://www.mckinsey.com/industries/public-sector/our-insights/unlocking-the-potential-of-generative-ai-three-key-questions-for-government-agencies