Fast Company: AI can help governments see around corners

This week, Fast Company published a piece by Roundtable Cofounder and CEO Madeleine Smith on how an underused application of AI — surfacing leading indicators from qualitative data — can help agency leaders get ahead of challenges before they become full-blown crises. Below is an excerpt.

Government agencies at all levels are searching for the answer to one question: What can AI do for me today? An underused application is to generate leading indicators of issues on the horizon, empowering agency leaders to get ahead of challenges before they become full-blown crises. And all it requires is a mindset shift.

Agencies most commonly view quantitative data, such as hard numbers and program metrics, in dashboards. That data is critical for assessing an initiative after the fact, but it lags behind real-time, ground truth. It doesn't help leaders see around corners. Qualitative data is different: the questions public servants ask, the resources they need, the conversations where policy gets translated into practice. AI can capture those signals at scale to surface the "why" behind the "what."

Imagine a homelessness coordinator who knew that, across their state, frontline workers were suddenly asking peers about eviction rules and fielding constituent calls about tenants' rights. AI that ingests those questions in real time can surface the signal early, and agency leaders can stand up housing support before the surge arrives, not after.

Read the full article on Fast Company here: https://www.fastcompany.com/91563151/ai-can-help-governments-see-around-corners