Putting People at the Heart of Transformations in the Age of AI
For this third instalment of our public sector change management series, we’re focusing on the humans at the centre of digital transformation and AI adaptation. As we mentioned to in ‘Embracing AI Adaptation in the Public Sector’, it’s critically important through this dramatic AI shift to not let the humans in your organisation slip through the cracks.
As governments and councils adopt increasingly clever AI technologies, there’s a risk of losing sight of the most critical piece of the puzzle—people. It’s obvious this story doesn’t end well if humans get sidelined by their own creations. Public-sector transformations can only succeed if they grow and adapt alongside their human stakeholders.
As by way of example, the public sector in the UK is, to put it mildly, a behemoth. Nearly six million people toil for an annual wage bill of around £240 billion per year. Yet, for all its heft, productivity has been as stubbornly unmoving as a reluctant donkey for the past quarter of a century. Enter stage left: artificial intelligence.
Over 40% of tasks currently performed by public-sector workers—think tedious admin, repetitive processing, endless bureaucratic slog—could be automated by AI. This isn’t some fanciful techno-utopia; it’s a very real opportunity to save about a fifth of employees’ time. The fiscal implications? A whopping £41 billion in potential savings.
Of course, transforming such a monolithic institution doesn’t come cheap. Rolling out AI across the public sector could cost between £4 and £7 billion a year over the next decade in the UK. Yet the returns are almost obscenely generous—£37 billion in annual net savings once the systems are in place. That’s the kind of benefit-cost ratio that makes even the most stoic economist weak at the knees.
But before the pitchforks come out, we aren’t here to promote machines replacing humans. Quite the opposite - we are here to explore how to keep people at the heart of the public sector, while simultaneously relieving the burden on its workers.
So how do we keep humans in the driver’s seat—or at least riding shotgun?
The Goal of People Development in the AI Age
The rise of AI has sparked many philosophical and statistical debates around its impact on the workforce, from destroying jobs to creating jobs to AI becoming a servant so we can live a life of leisure on a universal income. These arguments aren’t new though, they existed throughout every major technological revolution, such as the manufacturing and machinery boom of the 1930’s. Interestingly, in 2018 60% of people had jobs that didn’t exist before 1940. There isn’t a sure answer when it comes to AI implementation, but what we do know is that an acute loss of jobs would be a disaster. Having the entire world’s population go into early retirement isn’t a solution just yet.
The answer lies in rethinking how people fit into the workplace equation. It’s not about handing over the reins entirely to algorithms. Instead, it’s about leveraging AI to handle the grunt work, while humans focus on the creative, strategic, and delightfully messy parts that machines can’t replicate (yet).
Both bespoke and out-of-the-box AI solutions can help public-sector organisations build out their capabilities in ways that work in with their employees. However, many organisations have unique goals that even the best off-the-shelf AI solutions can’t fully address. In this case, building capabilities internally, rather than relying solely on pre-packaged solutions, can help those organisations retain control across all touch points and human integration, and deliver meaningful value to their constituents.
One of the best things about AI integration, is that it provides room to equip people with the skills, confidence, and imagination to use that tech effectively. And that starts with upskilling.
The Human Workforce Gets an Update
Let’s talk about the people who make public services tick: the ones dealing with outdated, clunky systems and endless bureaucracy.
Frontline staff—those who interact with the public daily—understand the nuances of outdated workflows and know exactly where the bottlenecks are. Imagine a council worker spotting a pattern in how residents access services and using that insight to improve AI tools. Suddenly, data isn’t just numbers on a spreadsheet; it’s a recommended and actionable insight into helping people.
Data engineers, while skilled in managing and analyzing complex datasets, cannot match the deep, practical understanding that frontline staff have – with their intuitive grasp of usage patterns, challenges, and inefficiencies that no external specialist can replicate.
By empowering these staff members with data literacy, they can act as critical bridges between technical specialists and real-world applications. Their insights can uncover valuable opportunities, such as identifying nuanced usage trends essential for refining tools like large language models (LLMs). Data literacy doesn’t mean turning everyone into a data scientist, but it certainly helps to give people the tools to interpret and use data effectively.
Moreover, frontline staff are acutely aware of the frustrations caused by outdated workflows. They possess firsthand knowledge of where inefficiencies exist and how the organisation could benefit from AI-driven solutions.
Workflow Automation Awareness
Automation can feel like magic at first—but so did predictive text on your Nokia 3310, and eventually we all got our heads around it. Upskilling employees and helping them to become comfortable with AI creates a situation where they can identify inefficiencies and propose further AI-driven solutions. This helps ensure automation isn’t just a top-down mandate but a collaborative effort, not only bringing efficiencies to the work, but helping employees feel like they’re co-creators of change, not bystanders. They become partners in progress rather than passive users.
Imagine telling a team their processes have been "streamlined" without asking for their input. It’s like rearranging someone’s desk without telling them. Upskilling creates a sense of ownership and agency that will be reflected in the quality of their work.
Upskilling Is Crucial, But It Doesn’t Completely Bridge the Talent Gap.
The Ideal Candidate Profile
Public-sector organisations need more than just coders and data analysts. They need unicorns who:
1. Understand How AI Works: Transformer-based machine learning models are complicated. The ideal hire has experience building digital services and large language models.
2. Bridge Use Cases and Technical Details: Effective use of AI is about connecting data, software, and users in ways that actually solve problems. The best hires are those who can see all three pieces of the puzzle—and fit them together seamlessly.
3. Navigate Public-Sector Challenges: While we do advise the public sector to apply more startup-esque qualities, it’s often a world where budgets are tight, timelines are long, and trust is hard-earned. The right candidate understands these constraints and works within them to deliver results.
Specialist Skills to Seek
Beyond these broad attributes, look for candidates with:
• Data Governance Expertise: AI initiatives live and die by how well they handle data. Privacy laws, ethical considerations, and compliance aren’t optional—they’re foundational.
• Software Development Experience: Customising AI tools often requires hands-on coding skills. The ability to build, tweak, and iterate is irreplaceable.
Finding these unicorns won’t be easy, but investing in the right talent is worth it. After all, the alternative is a team that deploys AI without fully understanding its implications—and you wouldn’t just give toddler a hammer and hope for the best.
Why Invest in People Over Software?
The topic of moral and ethical considerations for organisations responsible for the livelihoods of their employees is a bigger discussion than can be tackled here, but the business case for keeping humans on board is a no-brainer.
Investing in people means investing in intuition and experience, and those are hard to program into software. A skilled workforce can adapt to changing needs, create form-fitting solutions, and ensure that AI initiatives stay aligned with the goals of your organisation.
I’ll also add that the public are already sensitive to data and privacy concerns around AI implementation. If organisations were also seen to sacrifice their workforce for efficiency via AI, the public’s trust will drop like an anvil. That’s extremely damaging for a private company, but it would be catastrophic for government organisations.
Think of upskilling your workforce kind of like cooking: you could microwave a ready meal, or you could invest time in learning to cook from scratch. The latter might take longer, but the results are far more satisfying—and tailored to your taste.
The Bigger Picture: Humans and AI in Harmony
AI is the future, but it doesn’t have to be a dystopian one. The goal of public-sector transformations should be harmony: a world where AI enhances, rather than overshadows, the human element. This means designing systems that amplify people’s strengths and encourages creativity.
The public sector has a unique opportunity to set the tone for how AI and humans can work together. By prioritising people, investing in upskilling, and hiring talent that understands the nuances of both technology and governance, governments can lead by example.
As the public sector navigates this transition, let’s remember one thing: AI may be the tool, but people will always be the heart of meaningful progress.
Founders’ Words
At Alknoma, we don’t just talk about AI—we make it practical. Our goal is simple: to help organisations seamlessly adopt AI and enhance their decision-making processes over time. With our flexible, multi-tier system, businesses can integrate AI at their own pace and tackle real-world challenges as they evolve.
Alknoma is a collaborative, interactive experience that lets you assess your strategy, validate your planning, and continually improve—while the AI adapts to your feedback.
When you click ‘Start AI Conversation,’ you’re engaging with a dynamic knowledge base built on real experience. Use it to refine your change management, fine-tune your approach, or simply validate your thoughts.
Alknoma empowers you to make smarter decisions, faster.
