Research Report
To get the best return on their digital and AI investment, government agencies must build intuitive digital front doors, use AI to handle routine tasks and empower their workforce.
5-MINUTE READ
November 20, 2025
Government agencies worldwide are under pressure from shrinking budgets, aging workforces, rising resident expectations and ever accelerating technology advancements, like AI. Despite investments in digital tools, government agencies still offer the same channels to residents and the promised returns on these investments remain elusive. At the same time, governments are creating plans that set priorities for where and how to use AI and address ethics, rules, infrastructure and workforce readiness. While more residents now rate digital experiences as “mostly” or “always” good, nearly half still struggle to navigate sites, distrust the technology and worry about security. Our latest public service sector research of residents and frontline workers across 14 countries shows modernization is about ensuring great experiences for residents and those who serve them. Agencies that align technology with human needs turn digital investments into enduring public value.
58% of public service workers agree that "it's harder than ever to deliver consistently excellent customer service".
Despite an upswing in digital quality in government service, usage and trust issues drive residents to in-person, or phone support, or they give up on the experience entirely. This results in duplicate efforts and higher costs to serve.
49%
of residents struggle to navigate government websites
43%
of residents distrust technology or have security concerns
Government workers experience low job satisfaction from siloed systems, outdated tools and inefficiencies.
62%
of government workers' ability to deliver core services to users are affected by inefficient processes
69%
of government workers expect AI to reduce their workload by automating repetitive tasks
1/3
recognize that achieving improved customer service quality depends on upskilling
The overarching imperative to build trust in digital services and get the best return on digital and AI investments is to make experience the guiding principle for how agencies design and deploy AI. Agencies must build seamless, intuitive, “digital front doors” around life events, use AI to automate routine tasks, route complex cases to skilled people, and reinvent the workforce experience. By aligning technology with human needs, agencies can increase adoption of higher efficiency channels, reduce service backlogs, lower cost to serve, boost employee satisfaction, and build lasting public trust.
A well-designed, “no wrong door,” unified entry point can simplify access, build trust and improve adoption of digital channels. Investing in user-friendly design, using clear language, providing single-entry access and ensuring privacy commitments help residents complete tasks independently and confidently.
Personalized assistance is what agencies want to provide. This is where AI comes in, in its ability to clear routine work and free people for the human touch where empathy, nuance and deep problem-solving matter most. A chatbot, for instance, can complete a straightforward update request. As complexity arises, AI agents at the front door can read history, urgency and eligibility and pass along full context when a case needs a specialist. In this way, residents get the right help at the right time, and workers spend more time where judgment matters.
Tools only deliver value when employees have the confidence, skills and curiosity to use them effectively. Leaders must be ready to rewire the work of employees, align organizational designs, develop talent pipelines and cultivate the capacity for change. Co-learning, where people and AI systems learn together in the flow of work, is critical and can drive higher engagement, faster innovation and improved productivity. Organizations adopting human-AI collaboration and creating the conditions for co-learning are achieving 5x higher workforce engagement and 4x faster skill development.