South Africa’s 2023 Governance, Public Safety, and Justice Survey reveals a troubling decline in public trust towards essential services such as transport and clinics, a stark contrast to the more favourable perceptions reported in 2019. This drop in satisfaction, evident across various provinces, underscores pervasive issues such as subpar service quality, extended wait times, and unhelpful public servants. Although the newly formed Government of National Unity offers a glimmer of hope for improvement, there is an urgent need for immediate and effective solutions.

Our research shows that embracing generative AI could be the key to revitalising and modernising South Africa’s public service sector, addressing these critical challenges head-on. Generative AI, a subset of artificial intelligence, is revolutionising how we create content, from text and images to more complex outputs, based on extensive training data. Its transformative impact spans various sectors, and governments worldwide are taking note.

According to Accenture’s report, “Work, Workforce, Workers: Reinvented in the Age of Generative AI,” 42% of all working hours in the global public sector could be enhanced or automated with generative AI. Examples of its application include the US State Tax Department, where AI replaced existing machine learning algorithms with a large language model (LLM) to improve incoming call intent discovery and efficiency. Additionally, a Federal Agency utilised an LLM to streamline processing and submission times, leading to an estimated annual saving of $150 million. Citizens are also catching on to its transformative potential and pushing for its implementation in the public service sector. The survey highlights this demand as 53% of citizens find accessing public services frustrating, and 39% desire more digital interactions with the government.

Generative AI stands poised to revolutionise the public service sector by dramatically boosting efficiency and effectiveness. This transformative technology can reinvent how public services operate, from personalising citizen engagement and enhancing call centres to accelerating workforce productivity. It also has the potential to make employees’ jobs that much easier, with 80% of public service leaders believing that intelligent technologies can enhance job satisfaction. By automating and augmenting a significant portion of language-related tasks, generative AI promises to disrupt up to 75% of traditional work activities. The result? More streamlined operations, higher quality of service for the public, and freeing up more time for an already overburdened workforce.

Implementing generative AI comes with its own set of challenges. State and local governments face hurdles such as security concerns, software vulnerabilities, and social biases. In South Africa, these issues are particularly pressing, as the government has increasingly become a target for cybercriminals—recently highlighted by a data breach at the CIPC that exposed vulnerabilities in government departments. To address these risks, it is crucial to upskill government employees, ensuring they have a comprehensive understanding of the technology and are prepared to handle any emerging issues. Additionally, in a country with deep-seated inequality, there is a significant concern that AI could inadvertently reinforce existing biases.

South Africa is far from implementing comprehensive generative AI solutions in the public sector, but we’re taking steps in the right direction. Our legal sphere is evolving to tackle the legislative implications that come with this technology through the establishment of an AI Policy and Regulatory Framework.

To effectively navigate challenges and implement changes across the public service sector, a comprehensive strategy grounded in proven methods and expertise is essential. Accenture's work with generative AI showcases its potential to significantly boost efficiency and reduce operational costs. Early trials have demonstrated impressive results, including a 10-40% increase in developer productivity and the elimination of delays in handling employee support queries. Productivity per employee is expected to rise by at least 25%, and data collection time has been reduced by 98%. The introduction of new self-service capabilities further highlights these advancements.

To facilitate rapid and strategic deployment, Accenture has established a Gen AI Hub, dedicated to aligning use cases, prioritising skill development, and scaling AI solutions effectively. The company’s 'Hub-and-Spoke' model ensures scalable implementation, supported by a range of enterprise products and platforms. Embracing generative AI presents a valuable opportunity to transform and enhance the delivery and management of public services in South Africa, paving the way for a more efficient and tech-savvy future.