Lack of AI skills is putting public sector projects at risk
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New research from Salesforce has revealed the public sector could face significant challenges if the AI skills gap continues.
According to the study, three in five public sector respondents noted a shortage of AI skills as their primary implementation hurdle, marking this sector as one of the most affected by poor uptake of the emerging technology.
Fewer than one in three (28%) public sector IT professionals claimed to be experts at using generative AI, with a similar number (32%) saying that they were experts in understanding real-world generative AI use cases, such as data analytics.
Public sector at risk by AI skills shortage
Casey Coleman, SVP of Global Government Solutions for Salesforce, emphasized the importance of properly training workers on AI: “By investing in new skills like prompt development, public sector leaders can empower their workforce to use AI to increase productivity, build deeper relationships with constituents, and improve the quality of public services.”
Salesforce backs up its research with a separate Deloitte study claiming that AI could save hundreds of millions of government agencies time and money.
The study found that 60% cited a lack of skills to effectively use AI, making it the primary hurdle. While the same statement was found to be a primary hurdle across all sectors, the global average of 46% highlights the scale of the challenge.
Despite this, the public sector was found to be marginally (by two percentage points) more ready to adopt the tech in terms of data quality. Data security was also notably less concerning among public sector respondents than the general consensus.
Public sector organizations are already under threat from budget and efficiency constraints. Salesforce’s research suggests that spending a bit more time on training and development could address these threats and even improve things considerably.
Automating routine tasks emerged as the leading benefit for both the public sector and all sectors. Unique to the public sector were the other two benefits rounding up the top three – reduced risk and improved customer experience.
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