[Originally published on the Australian Government Public Sector Innovation Network under a Creative Commons 3.0 BY AU licence]
Consider the following:
- Elements of journalism are increasingly being automated and there are predictions that by the mid-2020s 90 percent of news journalism could be generated by algorithms
- A Canadian company is using IBM’s cognitive computing platform to create ROSS, “an artificially intelligent attorney to help you power through legal research”
- Scientists have created bespoke diets using a computer algorithm that learns how individual bodies respond to different foods
- Google scientists have developed the first computer program capable of learning a wide variety of tasks independently.
However you want to describe it – artificial intelligence (AI), machine learning, cognitive computing – computers are starting to make their mark in a lot of areas that are of relevance to the public sector. Whether it is in areas such as health, the law, or services, the context for how public services might be developed and delivered in the future is changing.
To explore these issues and to consider how AI might shape the public service of the future, we’re holding an event as part of Innovation Month.
“The Computer Says Yes: what might be the future of artificial intelligence in the public service?” will be held from 11:00-12:30 on 21 July and will include:
- Robert Bollard of IP Australia (IP Australia recently undertook a trial of cognitive computing)
- Pia Waugh of the Digital Transformation Office
- Rami Mukhtar, Senior Researcher, NICTA
- Professor Hussein Abbass, School of Engineering and Information Technology, University of New South Wales / Australian Defence Force Academy Campus.
The speakers will share their experience and thoughts on the opportunities and possibilities that AI might allow for the public service, followed by questions from the audience.
So if you’re interested in hearing about what AI might mean for the public service, come along. We hope to see you there.