Based on an exclusive business dinner for senior digital and technology leaders exploring the strategic deployment of AI in the public sector
At a recent HCL Tech dinner briefing co-hosted by GovNet, senior digital and technology leaders from across the public sector gathered to address one of the most pressing challenges of our time: how to balance AI-driven efficiency and cost savings with ethical responsibilities in public service delivery. The event, designed specifically for public sector leaders, focused on strategic AI deployment that can achieve cost optimisation and operational efficiency while maintaining the highest ethical standards.
Paul Montgomery, Associate Vice President and Head Public Sector EMEA at HCL Tech, opened the discussion by highlighting his company's engineering-driven approach to AI implementation. With a workforce of 225,000 people across 60 countries and annual revenues of $14 billion, HCL Tech has leveraged its semiconductor and engineering heritage to develop practical AI solutions that address real-world challenges. "Engineers are about improving processes, about delivering incremental change," Montgomery explained. "We're happy to cannibalise our own services to deliver new ones in more novel and efficient ways."
The discussion centred on real-world use cases that demonstrate how AI has moved beyond experimental phases into production environments delivering measurable value. One of the most striking examples involved environmental monitoring in New South Wales, Australia, where HCL Tech deployed computer vision technology along 300 kilometres of rivers to monitor water quality by tracking eel populations - a key indicator of ecosystem health. The challenge was distinguishing between baby eels (elvers) and worms in river waters, as both appear remarkably similar in photographs. By combining IoT sensors with AI-powered image recognition, the system can now continuously monitor river health across vast distances that would be impossible to cover manually.
Perhaps the most impactful application shared involved treating neurological conditions like Parkinson's disease. HCL Tech has developed technology that analyses facial muscle movements during video consultations to determine the effectiveness of spinal implants used to manage symptoms. The system can detect subtle changes in facial expressions and speech patterns that indicate whether the electrical intervention levels need adjustment. Most remarkably, these connected devices can be tweaked remotely and in real-time based on the AI analysis. "This is a game where we've taken some of our technology, some of our telemedicine skills, some of our AI computer vision piece, pulled them together and developed a live use case which is actually having an impact on the lives of patients," Montgomery noted.
Alan Flower, EVP and Head of AI & Cloud Native Labs at HCL Tech, outlined the rapid evolution of artificial intelligence capabilities, identifying five distinct phases in the AI journey. Starting with generative AI tools like ChatGPT that everyone has experienced, the progression moves through reasoning AI systems that can solve problems with PhD-level capability, to the current phase of agentic AI where systems can receive instructions and orchestrate complete outcomes. The next phases involve AI-enabled innovation where AI can identify market needs and create products autonomously, culminating in Artificial General Intelligence (AGI) when AI can make all decisions humans currently make. "We thought AGI maybe 20 years in front of us," Flower explained. "Today, the average prediction is we'll reach AGI within five years."
This acceleration is already transforming IT operations, where HCL Tech has deployed AI agents to handle 25 different support roles for major global businesses. The results are dramatic: problem resolution times have dropped by 80%, freeing human operators to engage in more meaningful conversations with users. "When we deploy AI agents to run IT, the average time to resolve problems drops by 80%," Flower reported, "and that's because AI is doing all the heavy lifting."
In the US healthcare system, HCL Tech has deployed AI clinical advisors that sit in examination rooms, conducting real-time medical research and recommending treatment plans. This system gives doctors an average of three additional minutes per consultation - time worth an estimated $50 million annually in improved care quality. The AI advisor connects to the world's largest clinical research libraries, ensuring that treatment recommendations are based on the latest medical research that doctors rarely have time to review themselves.
The law enforcement perspective was provided by a representative from Suffolk Constabulary, who shared both the opportunities and challenges that directly align with ethical AI deployment in public services. She discussed the potential for predictive policing - using AI to anticipate crimes before they occur. "We have a strong likelihood that some crime is about to be committed, and for us to then take preventative action," she explained, noting that this seemed like science fiction when she began her career over 30 years ago. However, she emphasized critical concerns about bias, security, and fairness in AI systems used for law enforcement, stressing the need for 110% certainty when making decisions that could lead to arrests.
These concerns perfectly exemplify the broader challenge facing all public sector organizations: how to leverage AI's transformative potential while maintaining public trust and ethical standards. The presentations revealed that AI applications are transforming how organizations operate and serve their communities, from environmental monitoring to healthcare support, from IT operations to potential crime prevention. The evening's discussions highlighted the critical importance of responsible AI governance in public sector implementation.
The key to successful AI deployment appears to be focusing on practical, engineering-driven solutions that solve real problems while maintaining ethical standards and public trust, rather than pursuing technology for its own sake. As these examples demonstrate, the most successful AI applications are those that augment human capabilities while addressing genuine operational challenges, all while upholding the ethical responsibilities that public sector organisations must maintain.
With AGI potentially arriving within five years, public sector organisations face the imperative to understand and prepare for a future where AI capabilities will fundamentally reshape how public services are delivered. The challenge lies not just in technical implementation, but in ensuring that these powerful tools enhance the quality of life for citizens while maintaining the trust and ethical standards that underpin effective public service. The dinner briefing reinforced that successful AI adoption in the public sector requires a balanced approach: leveraging technology's transformative potential for cost optimisation and operational efficiency while never losing sight of the ethical responsibilities and trust that citizens place in their public institutions.
Ola Jader
