Senior IT professionals from local authorities across the country gathered in Galway City last week for a high-level conference to explore opportunities for transformational change in local government using AI. Ireland’s national policy for digital services aims to make 90% of key public services available online by 2030 - with innovation at the core of more efficient service delivery and enhanced citizen engagement. The conference in Galway City brought together AI experts across local and national government, the technology sector, and universities, to examine the role of, and opportunities for, AI in shaping the future of digital public services, asking “The technology is here - what kind of future do we want it to serve?”
Welcoming participants to the event, Leonard Cleary, Chief Executive, Galway City Council said, “For local authorities around Ireland, AI isn't just an emerging technology, it's an opportunity to re-imagine how we serve - to make local government more responsive, more efficient and ultimately - the key challenge - more human-centred. For local Government, this means using AI, not just because it is fashionable, but because it can help us solve real problems - from housing and planning to climate adaptation, transport and community wellbeing. AI could transform our sector - from predicting housing maintenance issues, to analysing traffic flow, or natural language tools translating languages in multiple languages – there are significant potential gains for our citizens. Most importantly by automating routine tasks we can free up staff for the personal interactions technology can never replace - those are the moments that build trust and connection with our communities.”
Throughout this year’s Annual Conference of Local Government Heads of Information Systems, hosted by Galway City Council, conference participants heard from esteemed academics in the field of AI from University of Galway, and the Irish Centre for High End Computing, whose new supercomputer was recently launched in Galway. Adapt Labs in Trinity College detailed how they are exploring avenues for AI use with Dublin City Council. Attendees also heard from Trevor Vaugh, renowned Service Designer from DPER who featured in the RTE series “Big Life Fix”. He gave a highly emotive account of what it means to be truly citizen centric in the design of public services. On Day 2, attendees heard from Joanne Sweeney, author of the AI Playbook, and participated in a Digital and ICT Strategy workshop led by the LGMA.
Simon McCabe, Chair of the Local Government HIS Liaison Group, and Head of Information Systems (HIS), Meath County Council, said, “This year’s conference brings together the Heads of Information Systems from each Local Authority, the Local Government Management Agency (LGMA), and the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage, with a shared vision to explore the role of, and opportunities for Artificial Intelligence, in shaping the future of digital public services. Having such a diverse and experienced group of IT leaders in one room provides a fantastic collaborative space to share best practices and explore Artificial Intelligence opportunities for the sector. By embracing Artificial Intelligence in a transparent, ethical, and responsible manner, the Local Authority sector will continue to lead the way in creating innovative, inclusive, and efficient services for our citizens.”
A key output of the conference was a collaborative workshop to build a local government ‘AI Agent’. Industry experts from Microsoft worked with local government conference participants to develop a model that could be used throughout the local government sector. An ‘AI Agent’ is a software system or programme that uses artificial intelligence to guide users to the information they need – by autonomously performing tasks – showing reasoning, planning and memory.
The co-creation exercise invited local government, universities and industry to collaborate to explore and shape AI that works for people, with people, and in the public interest – leaving no one behind.
One task that was explored was using an AI Agent to assess FOI (Freedom of Information) requests – a task that can potentially take up hours of staff time every week but could be tackled by a well-developed AI Agent. This concept could be replicated across other labour-intensive tasks, with the right inputs and programming. Four agent design ideas were collected for further development and will be made available to all local authorities.
Conference organiser, Elaine Naughton, Head of IS, Galway City Council commented, “When you look at Galway City, there is strong potential for the population and the local authority to be key players in the early adoption of technology such as AI – we have a young, vibrant city that is home to an internationally recognised Med Tech cluster and as long been a recognised innovative start-up ICT community. AI is becoming part of our everyday lives and here in Galway City, we have the chance to harness its potential to drive innovation, improve public services, and create new opportunities for businesses and communities alike.”
The Government’s ‘Harnessing Digital – The Digital Ireland Framework’ report, published in 2022, sets a goal for Ireland to be a digital leader at the heart of European and global digital developments, with the National AI Strategy Refresh (2024) positioning Ireland as a leader in seizing AI's economic and societal benefits – while emphasising the importance of trustworthy, person-centred AI Development and use.