Sabio’s Vision for Productive Conversations with Citizens

One of the TechShuffle stage sessions at DigiGov Expo was led by Sabio’s Chief Innovation Officer, Stuart Dorman, who spoke on the topic of citizen services, delivering a presentation titled “Productive Conversation with Citizens.” DigiGov Expo is the leading public sector tech event, which is why Sabios’s focus was on how public sector organisations can leverage technology to enhance citizen services while driving down costs and increasing satisfaction. 

Stuart opened the session by addressing the elephant in the room: Why is technology not making us more productive? Despite continuous advancements in customer experience technologies, many public sector organisations struggle to reach the full potential of these tools. He explained that the gap between the capability of CX technology and organisations' ability to implement it effectively keeps widening. As a result, the organisations often see their expectations unfulfilled, projects incomplete, and return on investment poor.  

However, the CIO believes in the transformative potential of AI in public services, emphasing its ability to transform how citizens interact with government services. He outlined Sabio’s approach to AI, which focuses on automating routine tasks and providing real-time support to employees. For example, conversational AI can handle up to 20% of interactions by automating queries, allowing contact centre staff to focus on more complex issues. Not only does this enhance efficiency but also ensures that public receive faster, more accurate responses.  

Stuart also reiterated that in addition to workforce optimisation AI is capable of significantly reducing operational costs. Most contact centres have up to 75% of their expenses accounted for labour. Using AI to support agents day-to-day can be one of the critical strategies for optimising staffing levels and reducing costs. He suggested that organisations can lower their service delivery costs by up to 50% by focusing on smarter resource management and integrating AI into everyday operations.  

The speaker also highlighted the role of assisted AI, which goes beyond simple automation. Assisted AI works alongside employees, offering real-time suggestions, automating administrative tasks, and even wrapping up conversations post-interaction. This kind of support enables employees to focus on providing excellent service, reducing handling times, and boosting overall productivity. 

A key theme throughout the talk was the need to simplify citizen interactions. Today, public engages with government services through multiple channels, from telephone and email to chat and social media. However, these interactions often feel disjointed and inconsistent. Sabio’s vision is to create a seamless experience where citizens can interact with public services effortlessly, regardless of the channel. By embedding AI at every touchpoint, public sector organisations can offer personalised, responsive services that meet citizens where they are — whether online, on the phone, or via messaging apps. 

Looking to the future, Stuart outlined a roadmap for how the use of artificial intelligence will continue to evolve in the public sector. The vision includes AI tools that not only handle routine inquiries but also assist in more complex decision-making processes, analysis, and providing contextual responses. As AI algorithms become more sophisticated, its ability to take on more responsibility will grow, further reducing the need for human intervention in many basic processes. This transition promises to improve service delivery, reduce wait times, and make the overall citizen experience better. 

The talk emphasised that by deploying AI, public sector organisations can achieve significant productivity gains while still delivering high-quality, responsive service to citizens. What is Sabio’s approach here? It combines workforce optimisation, AI-driven automation, and the seamless integration of digital and assisted services to create a modern, frictionless citizen experience.

Stuart Dorman’s session at DigiGov Expo provided a powerful message: technology alone is not the solution. It is how organisations harness it that will determine the success of future public service delivery. With the right strategies in place, public sector agencies can reduce costs while boosting their ability to engage productively with citizens, ultimately building a more efficient and user-centric future.