AI offers considerable opportunities for public administration in Germany. It is already being used in various areas, some of which are already in regular operation. However, it is not yet a game changer for greater capacity to act, even if it is already creating added value in some areas. Initial experience shows that this is not due to available technologies or the willingness of administrative staff, but rather to the lack of framework conditions to utilise the full potential of AI.
A central element of this is the development of practical AI expertise in the administration. In addition to traditional training programmes, AI real-world laboratories should play an important role. These promote entrepreneurial innovation and a pragmatic regulatory learning process. Administrations, especially at municipal level, should be given easy access to such real-world laboratories in order to develop a deep understanding of AI through practical applications. In addition, in view of high regulatory requirements, such as the EU AI Regulation and the GDPR, access to and the provision of simple and practical best practice guidelines for compliance solutions are essential. These help to fulfil the necessary regulatory requirements as pragmatically as possible. It is also necessary to strengthen digital sovereignty through the mandatory use of national or European AI solutions in critical areas. At the same time, there should be no market restrictions or one-sided privileging of open-source solutions in less critical areas.
AI can automate routine tasks and increase employee productivity, but it is not a panacea. It will take time for the benefits to be felt across Germany, and the implementation of general administrative digitalisation will also have an impact on this. Realistic communication on this can help to strengthen confidence in the government's ability to act. The increasing use of AI in public administration also raises fundamental questions, such as the future distribution of tasks in the federal system. AI will drive forward the bundling of municipal tasks such as vehicle registrations and enable location-independent services. This harbours efficiency gains, but raises the question of proximity to citizens. Virtual town halls or smartphone services could become the norm.
The developments and course-setting outlined here show a way to utilise the diverse possibilities of AI in order to sustainably strengthen the ability of our public administration to act and to develop a future-oriented administration that is up to the challenges of our time.
Read the entire analysis: ‘Mehr Handlungsfähigkeit für die öffentliche Verwaltung mit Künstlicher Intelligenz’ here as a PDF. Please note, to date the analysis is only available in German.
