Transformation. We often hear about it in the public sector because the ageold approaches we’ve been using aren’t accomplishing our goals, especially in light of our rapidly changing societal, economic and technological landscape. Transformation is the promise that, with the right technologies and adaptive spirit, we’ll be able to provide better services, be more informed and exercise greater control over our outcomes. As we move through the early years of the artificial intelligence (AI) era, public leaders are spending time learning about the technology’s potential to create a more responsive, efficient and inclusive government that better serves its citizens. Our vision is that AI will deliver the opportunity for transformation. AI is gaining momentum in the public sector, but the importance of data, underpinning the successful implementation of AI, cannot be overlooked. It will be essential for digital transformation and supporting crossorganisational efforts. Data hold the key to AI readiness and becoming a modern government in the 21st century

Interviews with public sector leaders from around the world reveal that while each region has its challenges, there are also commonalities in their approaches to improving productivity, achieving better outcomes for citizens, and ensuring that public services are efficient, effective and responsive to changing needs.