The government has taken bold steps to modernise public services by combining public administration with artificial intelligence under a new ministry.
According to the Minister of Public Administration and Artificial Intelligence, Senator Dominic Smith, one of the goals of his Ministry is to use cutting-edge technology to make government services more efficient and accessible.
He said this digital evolution is about more than just technology – it is about improving lives, and citizens must experience these improvements in real and tangible ways, like when renewing their driver’s permit online or without needing to visit a government office repeatedly.
“The goal of the government is therefore to ease the pain of the citizens, and so that is really what e-services are about. How do we allow persons to access information online, how do we reduce the level of pain that the society feels when they are engaging with public service. I think that is the key concept behind any e-initiative.”
Addressing concerns about potential job losses resulting from increased automation of particular government services, Minister Smith emphasised that AI is an empowering tool rather than a replacement.
“The job of the government, especially the public service, is not to discard the employed. It is to upskill, retrain and retool these persons so that they’re ready not only for the public sector, but they are ready also to advance their careers. So that’s a mandate of the government: how do we train and facilitate the upgrade of the human capital that is the largest employer of the country, right?”
He reiterated the government’s intention to ensure that no citizen or community is left behind. He pointed to the expansion of ICT Access Centres throughout the country.
“So one of the biggest mandates that we’re pushing is, you know, ICT in, let’s say, disparate or communities that are typically far-reaching. That’s one of the main agenda points. How do we create these sort of smart communities where everyone has the ability to access Wi-Fi, everyone has the ability to access the technology, and everyone can, let’s say, engage in the power of the technology.”
On the topic of cybersecurity, Minister Smith assured that protecting citizens’ personal data is central to the government’s digital agenda. He stressed the need to strengthen privacy laws and advance legislation around data collection points, noting that cybersecurity must be part of that conversation.