AI-Driven Government Modernization: Transforming Public Services

By Anthony Pichardo, Senior Director US Government & Higher Education at Lenovo

As governments face increasing cybersecurity threats and rising citizen expectations amidst limited resources, the integration of AI is emerging as a crucial strategy for modernization. In FY 2023 alone, U.S. agencies reported over 32,000 cybersecurity incidents, highlighting the urgent need for secure and efficient public services.

AI technologies such as machine learning, edge computing, and automation are revolutionizing public-sector services. These innovations allow governments to enhance emergency management, optimize traffic flow, and enable real-time utility monitoring. For instance, cities like Kansas City and San Diego are leading the way in adopting intelligent infrastructure, deploying smart streetlights and real-time transit systems to streamline operations.

Lenovo’s initiatives, like the FIFA Lenovo Cities program, are setting new standards for AI-enabled infrastructure, supporting applications in wildfire detection, water management, and public health. Such advancements could potentially save governments up to $1 trillion annually by 2030, significantly boosting operational efficiency.

Research indicates that over 71% of major U.S. cities are exploring generative AI to improve service delivery and citizen engagement. This trend necessitates robust computing resources that maintain data security while delivering real-time insights. Lenovo’s AI-ready solutions place computing power closer to data sources, ensuring faster decision-making while preserving the integrity of sensitive information.

As AI becomes central to government operations, building trust remains critical. Only 38% of Americans currently trust AI to make unbiased decisions. Thus, Lenovo emphasizes a Responsible AI framework that prioritizes fairness, transparency, and accountability, fostering public confidence.

Ultimately, the future of government modernization hinges on blending digital intelligence with human values. By leveraging AI responsibly, governments can create more resilient and equitable communities, paving the way for a smarter public sector that better serves its citizens.

On November 1, more than 100 students from the Borough of Manhattan Community College (BMCC/CUNY) gathered at the Fiterman Hall Conference Center for the Fall 2025 Artificial Intelligence (AI) Innovation Student Summit. This bi-annual event, organized by Dr. Mohammad Q. Azhar and supported by Google and the National Science Foundation (NSF), encourages students across various majors to tackle real-world social issues through AI-assisted projects.

This year, 72 students presented 18 innovative projects across three categories: AI Tech Innovation, AI Software Innovation, and AI Data Science Innovation. The projects addressed pressing challenges such as food insecurity, environmental sustainability, and accessible education, showcasing the potential of AI for social good and adhering to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.

One standout project, aimed at assisting students with living arrangements and food accessibility, is being developed by Tauhid Iram Miahjee's team, which utilizes AI to connect students with available housing and grocery store options. Another notable project, a campus navigation app, helps students with mobility, hearing, or visual challenges. It integrates geolocation with resources aimed at addressing food insecurity, enhancing campus accessibility.

The summit illustrated how AI can empower students to devise solutions for everyday problems while cultivating critical thinking and creativity. Winning projects included a predictive model for emergency shelter demand, designed to assist cities in resource planning, and an inclusive online platform personalized for students with learning differences.

These initiatives exemplify BMCC's commitment to experiential learning and collaboration, reinforcing the idea that equipping students with AI tools can lead to innovative and meaningful outcomes. As the program grows, plans for the Spring 2025 AI Innovation Summit are already underway, promising further exploration of AI applications for social good.

In the realm of public health, understanding community needs is essential for securing funding and launching initiatives that enhance lives. This principle inspired Dr. Phillip Levy and his team at Wayne State University to launch Project PHOENIX (Population Health OutcomEs aNd iNformation eXchange). PHOENIX integrates data from electronic health records and over 70 anonymized sources to create a comprehensive virtual data warehouse. This resource enables researchers, community leaders, and policymakers to identify correlations between various factors and health outcomes, facilitating targeted interventions.

Recognizing the potential to innovate the Community Health Needs Assessment (CHNA) process—a mandatory and often tedious procedure—Wayne State collaborated with Google Public Sector and Syntasa to develop CHNA 2.0. This advanced solution significantly streamlines the production of CHNA reports, reducing completion time from nearly a year to just weeks. By leveraging PHOENIX data along with the Vertex AI Platform, CHNA 2.0 provides health leaders with timely insights.

A core challenge in drafting CHNA reports involves lengthy surveys, which can result in outdated data by completion. CHNA 2.0 tackles this by integrating real-time analysis from Syntasa Sentiment Analytics, drawing insights from social media and Google Search to identify pressing health concerns within communities.

The architectural backbone of CHNA 2.0 employs tools like Google Kubernetes Engine, Cloud SQL, and BigQuery for efficient data processing and sentiment analysis. Ultimately, CHNA 2.0 combines human expertise with AI capabilities to produce complex reports swiftly. This dynamic approach offers public health officials access to continuously updated information, enabling data-driven decision-making that significantly improves community health outcomes. The City of Dearborn, Michigan, has already reaped the benefits of CHNA 2.0, paving the way for broader implementation across cities and counties.

AI for Sustainable Development: Bahrain's Public-Sector Transformation

AI has the potential to unlock $370 billion in sustainable investment across the MENA region by 2030, and Bahrain is taking significant steps to leverage this technology. With initiatives like the SME SMART tool, Bahrain's public sector is transforming its approach to sustainability, particularly for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) that constitute over 93% of company registrations in the kingdom.

SME SMART is an AI-driven assessment tool designed to help SMEs evaluate their sustainability practices. By answering a streamlined questionnaire, businesses receive an AI-powered report that evaluates their performance against Bain's LEAD framework, assigning maturity scores and offering tailored recommendations to enhance their sustainability strategies. This initiative not only supports SMEs in their sustainability journey but also positions them to attain a potential valuation increase of up to $17 million by 2030, showcasing the tool’s economic impact. For every $1 invested in SME SMART, $3 could be mobilized in return.

Bahrain's commitment to a robust ethical digital economy is evident through its National Policy for Artificial Intelligence and a significant upskilling initiative aiming to train 50,000 Bahrainis in AI by 2030. Such efforts ensure that the local workforce is equipped with essential skills for innovation and competitiveness in a global context.

By utilizing AI, Bahrain's government can enhance efficiency in policy development, investment access, and real-time impact tracking. The collaborative workshop involving over 30 government representatives has paved the way for prioritizing AI applications, underscoring Bahrain's strategic vision for sustainable development. Embracing AI holistically can ultimately create a resilient engine for inclusive prosperity in the region.