The opportunity of AI in public administration in Italy

Generative AI holds the potential to help Italy’s public administration meet rising service demands by improving efficiency, enhancing service delivery, and allowing employees to focus on higher-value tasks. While challenges remain, Italy is well-positioned to leverage AI to enhance public administrative services.

An Implement Consulting Group study commissioned by Google explores how generative AI can unlock new opportunities in Italy’s public sector. The report highlights the economic potential, job implications, and key strategies for AI adoption in public services.

Key findings of the study:

• Generative AI can add value to all levels of public administration, presenting a total opportunity of up to EUR 11 billion. By improving productivity, speeding up service delivery, and reallocating resources to higher-value tasks, AI can help Italy make better use of its existing resources and create tangible benefits for citizens.
• 69% of jobs in Italy’s public administration have the potential to be complemented by generative AI, boosting efficiency and enabling employees to focus on complex problem-solving. Additionally, 12% of jobs have high use potential, with AI assisting over half of current tasks, thereby freeing up time for other valuable activities. Meanwhile, 19% of jobs, mainly involving human-facing or physical tasks, will remain unchanged due to low use potential.
• AI has the potential to elevate most functions across the public administration, from the most internal to the most citizen-facing. AI can enhance citizen services with personalized, real-time solutions, streamline administrative operations by improving accuracy and reducing processing times, and provide policymakers with data-driven insights for faster, more informed decision-making.

Generative AI offers Italy a lever for a more efficient, innovative, and citizen-focused public administration. By empowering civil servants with the right AI skills, establishing clear governance frameworks, and securing access to scalable infrastructure and specialised AI applications, Italy can fully unlock the potential of AI to enhance public services.