Examples of AI use cases on ai.gov point to a federal government that has been reticent in its AI adoption. AI technology and the products and services being offered today mean different things to different federal departments and agencies. Some civil servants within the government interpret AI products as dubious and risky, particularly when coupled with information sharing. Some government leaders are about the wrong risks so how does a startup highlight the true risks of AI usage versus risks that are in focus but not real?
The government wants to go where smart technologies are; however no one wants to feel conned by software which claims to replace human judgment. The government needs to focus on what the technology does and not how your technology does it – like understanding the complexity of your application layer. The government needs education on the benefits of the technology to their daily goals and objectives since not all government employees are Computer Science backgrounds or lingo within their vocabulary. Your task is to educate civil servants who need efficiency while avoiding anything that makes the government buyer appear ill-informed or reckless.
You can accomplish this task in three steps. Firstly, explain the relevance and timing of your AI technology. Explain when the underlying technology matters, and when you will sell the impact your AI technology has on government work. Secondly, focus on better adaptability and efficiency for the business of government. How does your technology make the GSA or TSA more efficient day-to-day? How does AI in DefenseTech improve government processes for the Department of Defense’s Office of Strategic Capital? Thirdly, explain your technology in simple English terms. LLMs, regenerative capabilities, and the future growth of world models are not very meaningful to non-technical civil servants who want to get the job done and be left alone.
Your AI technology can meet many needs within the federal government, but you must provide clarity around the problems it solves. Three examples of problems you can solve are (1) to increase automation in routine tasks for all departments and agencies such as real-time data analysis of documents through scans and processing, natural language processing for policy and regulatory analysis, and pattern- and trend-prediction for citizen services; (2) to provide deeper insights using efficient data analytics through increased Machine LEarning, reduced human errors, and data-driven (unbiased) decision-making; (3) to accelerate research and development in National Laboratories through autonomous modeling and simulation products. Are you ready to clarify how your AI technology solves routine government challenges and meets their needs?
