Nyssa Waters’ Post

The Department of Public Expenditure NDP Delivery & Reform has been shortlisted in the Digital Skills or Talent Initiative of the Year category at this year’s Public Sector Digital Transformation Awards. Our initiative is the development of the Foundation Certificate in Artificial Intelligence (AI) offered to all public servants.   The course has had a measurable impact on the development of digital skills and deployment of AI within the public sector. Growing engagement with the offering reflects the course’s success in addressing the critical need for AI skills among public sector employees. The certificate enabled public servants to develop proof of concepts on how AI could be deployed in their organisations to make their services more effective, efficient, and a better experience for the citizen. Projects included the use of AI to aid in the early detection and diagnosis of various skin diseases, as well as the use of AI to provide 24/7 tailored information and guidance to citizens about public services.   The Foundation Certificate in AI Foundation is one of a number of supports provided through the #BetterPublicServices strategy’s aim of tackling big societal issues and drive societal change through the use emerging technology.   Find out more about the awards and all the other public sector projects shortlisted at: https://lnkd.in/e7xrey3B #BetterPublicServices #PSDTAwards24 #PublicSectorIreland Krisolis | Government of Ireland |

Last week, at the GovAI Coalition I spent time with CIOs and City Managers from across the U.S. who are actively exploring how AI can support their communities. One thing that stood out in our discussions was the pervasive sense of uncertainty: many key questions remain unanswered. Policies and frameworks have given agencies a foothold, helping them begin engaging with vendors and rolling out AI solutions. But the big questions remain: How do you measure whether employees are meaningfully using AI across your organization? Are surveys the right approach, or is there a better way? And how do you ensure that a well-intentioned policy isn’t just a polished PDF on the intranet, but a living, practical guide that can be effectively managed within a 1,000-person department? They say the devil is in the details. Getting these details right will be critical—not just to scale the one-off pilots and projects already underway, but also to ensure that when public agencies make big bets on their next AI tools (like co-pilot), the investment pays off. This is the details phase of AI adoption, and the work we do now will shape the trajectory of AI in the public sector for years to come.

🌟 Exciting insights from the National AI Government Summit today! 🌟 It was an honor to have the Minister of Communications and Digital Technologies, Mr. Mondli Gungubele , as our keynote speaker. He aptly likened AI to a child running faster than others, emphasizing its profound impact on society. Mr. Kalane Rampai , CEO of Microsoft enlightened us on navigating the AI era, sharing inspiring success stories from eThekwini, SARS, and beyond. His message? You don't have to be an expert to leverage generative AI; it's accessible to all, even those less technically inclined. The discussions were enriched by two powerful panels: 1️⃣ The first panel delved into AI initiatives in line with PC4IR's prescriptions, focusing on established AI institutes, tackling progress, and overcoming challenges. Highlights included enhancing productivity, analytical capabilities, and ensuring widespread AI education, along with innovative initiatives like hackathons and agricultural advancements. We had Mr. Alfred Kgwadibe Mashishi , Prof. Anish Kurien , Prof. Randall Carolissen , Prof. Elisha Didam Markus, SMIEEE , and Ms. Juanita Clark on the panel. 2️⃣ The second panel explored global AI progress, emphasizing sustained investments and strategic planning across business, technological, and bureaucratic spheres. With a clear roadmap in place, the focus is on driving forward AI elements through collaborative efforts and investment plans. We had Mr. siyabonga madyibi , Ms. Nomvuyiso Batyi , Mr. Kiruben Pillay, and Ms. Atenkosi Ngubevana (MBA, PgDip, BCom) on the panel. Exciting times ahead as we harness the transformative potential of AI together! 💡 #AISummit #Innovation #FutureTech #Aiforgood #AiGovSummit2024 #futureofaigovernance

[MEET THE PARTNERS] As we continue our Meet the Partners campaign, we’re excited to introduce another key group driving the DeployAI EU project: European AI Associations & Networks! 🚀 These organizations play a key role in connecting people and ideas. They bring together researchers, industry leaders, policymakers, and communities to collaborate and share knowledge. Their work helps ensure that AI innovation doesn’t stay in labs - it makes a real difference across Europe. 🇩🇪 KI Bundesverband 🇭🇷 CroAI (Croatian AI Association) 🇪🇺 EIT Digital 🇸🇪 AI Sweden 🇫🇷 Hub France IA 🇪🇺 F6S 🇩🇪 VDE 🇪🇺 Adra - AI-Data-Robotics-Association (Associated Partner) By building bridges between research, industry, and society, these partners are shaping how AI is developed and used, making sure it’s accessible, impactful, and beneficial for everyone! 🤝 Stay informed on the latest developments and milestones—subscribe to our newsletter and be part of the journey! 🗞️ https://t.ly/Ai0eC #DeployAI #MeetThePartners #Network #Europe #AI

Today, with support from Microsoft, eir evo published a new report on digitalisation within frontline service organisations in Ireland. This study assesses digital maturity and AI adoption in sectors like healthcare, education, and retail, and and found that frontline services organisations were ranked as ‘highly digitalised’ but workers still feel left out / Behind, highlighting the importance of empowering frontline with better technology use, digital inclusion, and responsible AI practices to drive ongoing digital progress. Key findings: ➡65% of frontline workers rate their organisations as ‘highly digitalised’ on the digital maturity scale yet... ➡ 62% feel “digitally poor” – pointing towards a disparity between organisational digital strategy and frontline execution ➡ 27% of frontline workers are using open-source generative AI solutions or shadow AI, highlighting need for official tools. Read the summary of the findings in this blog by eir evo's Managing Director, Martin Wells https://lnkd.in/eRhEPWHj Frank O'Donnell | Darina Sexton | Nicola Mortimer | Joe Carlyle

Some super insights here from research by Martin and the team at eir evo about front line workers, their use of digital tools, and what organisations need to be thinking about on the role of AI at the coal face of their operations.

Sold out! More than 400 attendees at the #AotearoaAISummit, gathered together to help guide NZ’s use of AI. Great opening keynote for todays conference, John Galligan from Microsoft shared recent research showing GenAI is expected to add $76 billion to New Zealand’s GDP by 2038, 15% growth. To achieve this productivity growth a few conditions are required: - access to infrastructure - organisational readiness - workforce skilling - enabling policy framework - community trust and confidence New Zealand is on track with infrastructure, needs to lift organisational readiness and skilling, is developing a strong policy framework and must continue to bring the population along on the journey through more public discussion and understanding. Read the report here: https://lnkd.in/gEsZu3ij Well done Madeline Newman and the AI Forum NZ executive council and members. NZTech #seetomorrowfirst. #techforgood Colby Raley Vanessa Sorenson Mitchell Pham ONZM FCPA Delphine Ducaruge Samar Alrayyes Megan Tapsell Louise Taylor

Hey Kentucky public sector innovators - tomorrow, December 3rd, Google Public Sector Summit launches on-demand! If you missed us live in October, this is a great opportunity to participate from wherever you are. ✅ Explore the role of AI in optimizing operations, enhancing citizen services, and fostering a more efficient and resilient future ➡️ Register now and be a part of this conversation → goo.gle/3A0pTej #GooglePublicSector #GovernmentInnovation #GoogleforGovernment

In a world where artificial intelligence (AI) is rapidly transforming every aspect of our lives, from healthcare and education to transportation and governance, policymakers must grasp the fundamental concepts, opportunities, and challenges this groundbreaking technology presents.  As we explore this year’s NADPA-RAPDP Conference’s theme - Promoting Regional Data Governance for Digital Transformation, Office of the Data Protection Commissioner, Qhala and Tenery Research in partnership with Google, Microsoft and Amazon Web Services (AWS) have curated a much needed AI 101 masterclass designed to equip participants at the conference with the essential knowledge and insights needed to navigate the complex landscape of AI and make informed decisions that shape our societies' future. Join Qnights David Lemayian and Dr. Njeri Ngaruiya Ng'ang'a (PhD) as the expert voices leading this session on the 7th of May 2024. Be sure to catch the live streaming on the Office of the Data Protection Commissioner social media sites. Visit Qubit Hub : https://qbit.africa/ and learn how Qhala is cultivating an AI ecosystem in Africa through Qubit Hub. #datagovernance #NADPAConference24 #dataprotection

🚨 Deadline Tomorrow: Opportunity for AI & Smart Tech Vendors 🚨 The Local Government Association (LGA), in collaboration with PUBLIC, is calling on AI and smart tech innovators to connect with local councils at the LGA Technology Innovation Showcase in London on 14 November! We're looking for innovative solutions to help tackle four key challenges: 💻 Digital Front Door: How can AI/smart tech streamline access to council services? 🌍 Improving Local Places: How can tech optimise local services and improve communities? 📑 Planning Efficiency: How can AI/smart tech speed up the planning process? 🤝 Supporting Social Care: How can tech free up time for social care practitioners to focus on people? Apply by 18 October to showcase your solution and help shape the future of local government services. 📄 Details and challenge statements: https://lnkd.in/d3AYpYxF 📞 Arrange a call with our team to discuss this opportunity: https://lnkd.in/ef6ngHx5 #AI #SmartTech #LocalGovernment #Innovation