Public sector embraces AI but trust still an issue

A new report shows that 79 percent of public sector organizations have started to use AI in production (compared to 83 percent in the private sector) but that trust remains a major concern.

The study, from enterprise resilience platform Splunk, shows trust and reliability in AI-enabled systems -- particularly around cybersecurity tools that employ AI -- continue to be the main concerns for decision-makers (48 percent public, 36 percent private).

In the public sector, half of survey respondents point to continuous monitoring as a top tactic to defend AI-enabled systems against cybersecurity attacks, followed by threat intelligence solutions (45 percent) and developing an incident response plan (43 percent).

The main drivers for AI adoption are innovation (31 percent public, 29 percent private), the use of AI technology to enhance goods or services (28 percent public, 31 percent private), and its role in improving citizen and customer experiences (30 percent public, 27 percent private).

Cybersecurity is a key use, with 80 percent reporting their organizations are already addressing cybersecurity priorities with AI, including AI-enabled monitoring (34 percent), risk assessment (33 percent) and analysis of threat data (29 percent).

When it comes to regulating AI 78 percent say that global ethical principles should guide the regulation of AI rather than it being the province of nation-states.

"For both the public and private sector, purpose-built AI solutions can help improve an organization's resiliency," says Bill Rowan, VP of Splunk Public Sector. "However, the push and pull between eagerness to innovate and hesitancy to venture blindly into the unknown will continue to hinder AI innovation until we have a clear body of general principles and rules for AI technology use and adoption."

The full report is available from the Splunk site.

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