REIMAGINING GOVERNMENT

Hoque, Nelson, and Davenport advocate for the mindful implementation of AI technology for government agencies in this nonfiction guide.

As government agencies confront the AI revolution, the question is not whether they will embrace it, but how: “the pay-off is potentially revolutionary: enhanced public services, improved operational efficiency, and a complete revisioning of the relationship between agencies and the public they serve.” Per the authors, AI is an inevitable tool that will be implemented across a broad spectrum of organizations and lifestyles, making systematic implementation necessary for government services. Acknowledging this technological imperative, the authors advocate a balanced, mindful approach to AI implementation grounded in three major frameworks, called OPEN, CARE, and the portfolio approach. These structures address the need for mindful implementation, agency missions and values, inherent risks and strategies to mitigate them, and the importance of diversifying AI investments for a sustainable program. The authors argue that these frameworks will not work for agencies that fail to recognize the cultural shifts necessary to accommodate AI and don’t prioritize change management, sustainability, and employee input. While many books in this genre take a “moonshot” approach to AI implementation, praising its potential and advocating technological advancement for its own sake, this work offers a welcome centrist perspective. The authors’ emphasis on mindful and balanced implementation is refreshing, and the various theories drawn from business, technology, and organizational management provide a solid foundation for their case. They describe the frameworks in detail to ensure reader understanding, making this a practical introductory guide. The authors use examples from government agencies worldwide both to highlight success stories and to analyze failed initiatives to effectively drive the points home. The prose is clean and clear, oriented toward the technologically uninitiated, and the text includes helpful charts and matrices, but while the book is accessible, the general audience may wish to skip this one, as it’s clearly intended for organizational leadership in the public sector.

A welcome, centrist guide to implementing AI in government.