How ACTS and AI help governments do more with data

Despite tight budgets, governments are under pressure to make their operations more transparent and improve services for citizens. ACTS, Microsoft’s Advanced Cloud Transparency Services initiative, enables public sector employees to achieve these goals by harnessing the power of data.

Now, by leveraging the capabilities of different kinds of AI, ACTS technology takes these efficiencies a step further.

• By using machine learning (a subset of AI) and advanced analytics, government employees can detect suspicious activities and flag risk signals more quickly.
• And by leveraging generative AI embedded in ACTS technology, employees can dig deeper to access information that can be used to confirm or clear the suspicions raised by risk flags. They can get this information in the language of their choice and in the style—a detailed report or a quick summary—they want.
   

Using AI to help governments

In the face of shrinking budgets and high citizen expectations, governments need technology solutions that can deliver measurable value. Data-driven operations must also comply with laws and regulations, including ones addressing privacy and citizens rights.

ACTS meets these requirements. We help governments improve transparency and efficiency while maintaining data privacy and ensuring compliance with local legislation. Our program is built on Microsoft’s commitment to these principles, including that of responsible AI.

Two different kinds of AI, machine learning and generative AI, add to the innovations that ACTS solutions deliver. Leveraging these powerful technologies, government employees can flag problems faster and dig deeper to resolve them. They can use data more effectively to achieve their goals of transparency and improved citizens services.

Here is how the two AI subsets work in concert to help government employees.

First, using ACTS solutions, government employees can quickly spot suspicious behaviors. So instead of being overwhelmed by data, they now know where to look for problems and zero in on them faster. And AI and machine learning further strengthen this process by recognizing patterns of behavior and flagging anomalies. These anomalies indicate risk signals that might need more thorough investigations.

Government employees are an important element as they act as humans in the loop and oversee investigations. They can lean on the generative AI features of ACTS to dig deeper and ask for relevant information. Equally important, they can use a conversational approach and access the information in many languages.

ACTS’s generative AI builds on language learning models (LLMs) that consume and train on the organization’s specific data sets. This means the information that government employees access by using ACTS technology is directly relevant to the organization’s needs.
 

Further advantages of generative AI

Generative AI delivers a number of additional advantages to governments.

• Speed Governments can access information quickly. Finding useful information in a mountain of seemingly unrelated documents can be challenging and time-intensive. But generative AI allows government employees to dive into thousands of relevant documents in  seconds.
• Language Government employees can also ask questions in a conversational tone, which enables easier interactions. The insights employees gather by using ACTS solutions can be translated into a wide variety of languages, which improves access for a wider set of people.
• The right format Using ACTS solutions, authorized employees can access relevant information in context—whether that’s a quick summary or a more detailed report. And if users are accessing reports, they can request them in the style they want—especially if the documents need to pass legal compliance requirements.
• Explainable and verifiable Information generated by using ACTS solutions also includes citations—transparent and responsible AI is a cornerstone of Microsoft—so users can trust and verify the information they receive. Such clear audit trails enable governments (and citizens) to trust investigations and the findings they reveal.
• Innovative insights Generative AI’s search abilities are wide and extremely powerful. Using ACTS solutions enables government employees to expand their field of view and find unexpected connections and insights they might not have otherwise found with the naked eye.
   

AI and ACTS for better government

At a time when governments are stretched thin and struggling to root out inefficiencies and deliver for its citizens, they can use ACTS and AI to solve their biggest challenges. ACTS can help governments improve transparency and traceability in operations. By leveraging ACTS solutions, governments can strengthen internal functions and increase citizen participation by enabling access to accurate information.

Citizens want more from government, including addressing corruption and systems that actually work. Governments can use ACTS technology to harvest AI-driven insights. They can improve transparency and operational efficiency and make government work better for all.