Unlocking Transparency: GenAI’s Potential in Public Sector Innovation

In today’s fast-paced world, transparency within the public sector is not just a buzzword; it’s a fundamental principle that fosters accountability, trust, and empowerment among citizens. As the demand for transparency continues to surge, the need for innovative solutions becomes increasingly apparent.

A staggering 467,000 FOI requests inundated local governments in 2017, according to a report by MySociety [1]. This number likely has only grown, reflecting a dwindling trust in local government, which currently stands at a mere 42% as of 2022 [2]. This surge in requests, coupled with stringent response timelines mandated by law, presents a significant challenge for public bodies.  

In this article we are showing how Generative AI is poised to change how public entities handle Freedom of Information (FOI) requests, ushering in a new era of efficiency and compliance. Read on for how GenAI is promising to expedite the handling and elevate the standard of compliance, ensuring that public authorities uphold their responsibility to provide timely and accurate information.

What’s FOI?

The Agilisys FOI Solution aims to solve the problems facing local authorities: a growing high number of FOI requests and the requirement to response requests within 20-working-day to maintain compliance. Information can be requested about any part of the organisation, and it is the FOI officer’s duty to acknowledge the request, locate the information that has been requested, determine if any of the information is exempt, and finally provide a response to the citizen.

So, what exactly is GenAI?

It represents the latest frontier in artificial intelligence, capable of comprehending and generating content that mirrors human thinking. Since its debut with ChatGPT in November 2022, GenAI has found diverse applications, from content generation to language translation. But its true potential lies in its integration within organisational workflows, to save time and relieve workers of administrative duties.

A Boston Consulting Group (BCG) report into the business impact of GenAI found that simply deploying GenAI tools for productivity is not enough as ‘even more substantial opportunities are within reach when organisations reshape processes and functions’ to work with GenAI [3].

How is GenAI applied to FOI?

Imagine an FOI officer equipped with a secure GenAI platform to query the FOIA 2000 regulations and instantly access answers to complex FOI queries as if consulting with an expert. This not only expedites request handling but also lays the groundwork for embedded intelligent systems capable of contextualising requests and generating accurate responses. In essence, GenAI has the power to fundamentally streamline the FOI process, unlocking value across the entire public sector landscape.

What are the potential benefits?

The financial implications are substantial. Despite the difficulty in quantifying the cost of FOI requests, estimates suggest an annual expenditure of over £200 Million [4].

GenAI potentially can unlock more than £25 Million in productivity gains annually in local councils alone, a figure not to be overlooked in the context of tight budgets. This amount could go up with more advanced integrations and with the right support.

Sounds amazing! But where is the GenAI-powered FOI solution?

At Agilisys, recognising the need for innovation in the FOI space, we developed the Agilisys FOI Solution that adds immediate and long-term value to Freedom of Information teams.

Our FOI solution leverages Generative AI in various capacities. The tools triages requests, identifies exemptions, guides users through every step, and enhances efficiency while ensuring compliance with statutory requirements.

Our system can extract the answers to the initial questions from a large set of documents, identify any information that may be exempt from publication, then redact it from the output once the user accepts. 

By automating mundane tasks and facilitating data retrieval, our system empowers FOI officers to focus on value-added activities, ultimately enhancing citizen engagement and trust.

What are the FOI challenges?

Integrating GenAI into FOI processes isn’t without its challenges. By maintaining human oversight, we can mitigate risks and ensure the integrity of decision-making processes. 

Consider the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) case in August 2023 when it accidentally released sensitive information about their employees to the public [5]. With GenAI as a failsafe, such mishaps could be avoided, underscoring the symbiotic relationship between humans and AI in the pursuit of transparency.

Is it Secure?

Agilisys’ FOI Solution is built on a secure foundation, leveraging the robust infrastructure provided by partners like Microsoft. This ensures that sensitive information is handled with the highest standards of data security and privacy, complying with all relevant regulations and best practices.

Conclusion

The trajectory of FOI in the UK is poised for a transformative shift. By getting GenAI as our ally, we can redefine transparency in the public sector, empowering citizens and holding public entities accountable like never before.

Unlock the full potential of GenAI and pave the way for a brighter, more transparent future. Contact us at info@agilisys.co.uk to get started.