{"id":3145,"date":"2024-05-09T09:00:00","date_gmt":"2024-05-09T16:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/cm-edgetun.pages.dev\/en-us\/innovation\/blog\/ms-industry\/how-microsoft-empowers-city-governments-on-the-road-to-ai-adoption\/"},"modified":"2026-04-09T08:58:35","modified_gmt":"2026-04-09T15:58:35","slug":"how-microsoft-empowers-city-governments-on-the-road-to-ai-adoption","status":"publish","type":"ms-industry","link":"https:\/\/cm-edgetun.pages.dev\/en-us\/microsoft-cloud\/blog\/government\/2024\/05\/09\/how-microsoft-empowers-city-governments-on-the-road-to-ai-adoption\/","title":{"rendered":"How Microsoft empowers city governments on the road to AI adoption"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

For city governments around the world, the primary question about technology is no longer if<\/em> they should be thinking about using generative AI, but how<\/em> to start using it.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

It is a remarkable shift, which I and others in Microsoft for government<\/a> have gauged over the past year as we\u2019ve worked to help city governments solve their most important challenges through technology. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

At the SXSW 2024 conference, the Esri Infrastructure Management & GIS Conference, and in my recent meetings with city leaders from Canada, Finland, and the Netherlands, generative AI has been at the center of most conversations. This excitement is notable because cities are traditionally cautious about technology adoption for important reasons such as risk, privacy, security, and governance, and many are still working through their cloud migration journeys.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The potential benefits of generative AI to improve operations and service delivery are too compelling for many cities to ignore. To cite just one example, the City of Kelowna<\/a> in Canada launched an early AI initiative and is using cognitive search and conversational AI to deliver a 24-hour helpline for its 150,000 residents. Project leaders report that generative AI also enables them to automate and streamline internal processes around data entry and analysis, refactor legacy databases and code, and create new apps in minutes.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

This type of innovation has prompted other cities to explore AI innovation, beginning with creating an effective and actionable plan. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Microsoft for government<\/h2>

Achieve your mission with Microsoft<\/p>

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Success factors for AI adoption in city governments <\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Every city is unique, with its own ambitions for the use of generative AI and its own set of requirements and technology considerations. In our work with cities, we have identified a set of success factors that are common across cities investing time and money in generative AI and are enjoying early success.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

1. Empower the workforce with effective upskilling  <\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Realizing the value of AI starts with the workforce. According to research conducted as part of Microsoft’s Public Sector Insights on Skilling, the lack of skilled workers is often the number one barrier to AI implementation among organizations worldwide.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The imperative to upskill the workforce is particularly important for cities, whose early use cases usually focus on employee productivity and the internal processes they manage. Well-trained and confident workers also help ensure the success of public-facing initiatives. Executive support is key. Workers are empowered when leadership gives them the direction and license to responsibly use AI tools within the context of their day-to-day work. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

To answer the skilling challenge, cities should invest in learning programs, building public-private upskilling partnerships, and giving people adequate time to gain skills and confidence. An ongoing learning experience platform, such as the one developed by Bank of Canada<\/a>, can promote a culture of learning. Microsoft offers effective resources and strategies, including the Public Sector Center for Digital Skills<\/a>, which provides specialized insights, guidance, and content, and Microsoft Learn<\/a>, which offers customized training options. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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