Leading into Tomorrow

In the final episode of AI Pioneers, EY Global Government and Infrastructure AI Co-leaders Sheena Thompson and Thomas Erwin share their highlights from across the miniseries. They identify four recurring themes: Successful AI programs begin by understanding the problem, not the tool. Adoption, productivity, and ROI depend on training your people and bringing them with you. Radical transparency and...

In this episode, EY Global Government and Infrastructure Leaders, Thomas Erwin and Josie Cluer, discuss a key theme in EY data and AI reports : workforce engagement and capability. Josie shares some findings from global EY research: Less than half of government employees are seeing productivity benefits from AI, compared with over three quarters of employees in financial services. Skills are twice...

From 10 use cases to almost 100 at the proof-of-concept stage or in production: the Île-de-France Region has scaled GenAI fast. Now, it’s accelerating its use of agentic AI to improve everything from employee productivity to the citizen experience. In this episode, Chief Information and Technology Officer Achille Lerpenière tells Sheena Thompson, EY Government and Infrastructure AI Co-leader, how...

When the City of Amarillo, Texas, needed to service a rapidly growing population that couldn’t afford higher taxes, it was the catalyst for exploring how AI and automation could help. As Chief Information Officer Rich Gagnon tells Sheena Thompson, EY Government and Infrastructure AI Co-leader, a key solution was creating a GenAI concierge, Emma, to handle website requests. But with a large multili...

Governments should look for the best solution to a specific problem, not view AI as the answer to everything.  That’s one of the main lessons shared by Dr Laura Gilbert CBE, previously Director of the Incubator for AI at No 10 Downing Street. Laura tells Sheena Thompson, Government and Infrastructure AI Co-leader, how the Incubator built trust through “competency and intent”. That meant sharing co...

At the South African Revenue Service (SARS), AI-powered fraud and risk detection have stopped 100 billion rand in impermissible refunds and recovered 20 billion rand in revenue by dismantling illicit schemes. SARS also uses third-party data to auto-assess almost six million personal income tax returns, with a 99% acceptance rate. Carl Scholtz, Deputy Commissioner, Strategy Enablement and Modernisa...

For Shen Hwee Chua, Chief Data Officer at the Energy Market Authority in Singapore, the biggest hurdle to implementing a GenAI productivity tool has been human resistance. As she tells Thomas Erwin, EY Global Government and Infrastructure AI Co-leader, hosting the organization’s GenAI platform on a government-approved cloud was key, as was democratizing access and skills. Codesigning the tool with...

Not only do over half of all Estonians use AI daily, but on average, government employees are more likely than private sector employees to do so (37% v 25%).  In this episode, Ott Velsberg, Estonia’s Government Chief Data Officer, explains how mandatory training, role-specific competencies and positioning AI as a productivity tool have normalized its use across the public sector. He tells Thomas E...

To listen to EY Government and Infrastructure audio reports follow this link: https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/ey-government-and-infrastructure-audio-reports/id1789638494 

In challenging economic times, preserving social cohesion isn’t only about supporting the vulnerable; it’s essential for maintaining peace and security. And as the final episode of our mini-series reveals, transparent leadership and inclusive policymaking play a vital role. Joining host Tim Smith are Jessica Chamba , EY Global Human Services Leader, and Safia Rahemtulla , the EY Partner who leads...

With climate change intensifying, bringing higher human and financial costs, governments must step up their efforts to both mitigate its risks and adapt to its impacts. The challenges and opportunities this poses are the focus of this episode. Joining host Tim Smith are Dr. Matthew Bell , EY Global Leader of Climate Change and Sustainability Services, and Ruth Ahchow , EY Global Climate Change and...

How can governments adopt digital technologies while regulating their use and supporting innovation? That’s the question Permenthri Pillay , Partner, Business Consulting, EY Australia, and EY Regional Digital Government Leader, Oceania, and Thomas Erwin , EY EMEIA AI & Data Leader, address in this episode. They tell host Tim Smith about the complexities of digitalization for governments and th...

Take aging populations, add low birth rates, and you have a shrinking workforce and skills gaps that risk hampering economic growth. How governments can help address these impacts is the topic of discussion in this episode, hosted by Tim Smith . Rosalin Acosta , National Practice Leader for Labor and Workforce Development, Ernst & Young LLP, and Dr. Carlo Chiattelli PhD , EY People Consulting...

In this episode, Oliver Jones , EY Global Geostrategy Leader, and Jan Kallmorgen , Senior Partner, EY Strategy and Transactions, explore how governments can manage geopolitical complexity with host Tim Smith . They discuss the factors driving the current complexities and the unique role of governments as they both act in, and are affected by, that environment. They also suggest strategies for miti...

How can governments keep their finances sustainable in a world of high public debt, rising interest rates and persistent inflation? By shifting their focus from inputs (expenditure) to impacts (public value) — and by viewing themselves as drivers of growth and potential growth. That’s the big message of this episode, in which Mark MacDonald , EY Global Public Finance Management Leader, and Gregory...

In this episode, Dr Naveen Thomas PhD and Dr Harvey Lewis PhD , both Technology Consulting Partners at EY, discuss artificial intelligence (AI) past, present and future with host Tim Smith. Their conversation covers everything from the first ever chatbot to why the future will be humans, AI and robots collaborating to solve society’s challenges. For governments, they recommend taking a “thinking f...

To effect real and wide-reaching change, government organizations need to get behind the big-ticket outcome of adopting artificial intelligence (AI): efficiency. In this episode, EY Technology Consulting Partner Dr Naveen Thomas PhD and Alex Bennett , EY EMEIA Microsoft and AI Leader, tell host Tim Smith how people are currently using AI at work. They also discuss the role of muscle memory and the...

From raising literacy standards to eradicating diseases, artificial intelligence (AI) could transform society as we know it. But with these technologies evolving rapidly, it’s government’s job to continually test, measure and audit those they deploy. So they’re as accurate, fair and unbiased as possible. That’s the main takeaway from this fascinating conversation between EY Technology Consulting P...

How can governments help businesses realize the benefits of artificial intelligence (AI) while gaining the maximum value from these game-changing technologies themselves? By creating a thriving AI ecosystem that works for government, business and citizens. In this episode, Kiren Kumar , Deputy CEO of Singapore’s Infocomm Media Development Authority (IMDA), shares three steps to building such an ec...

How can universities balance their innovation culture with applying artificial intelligence (AI) in safe, compliant, ethical and effective ways? Our host Tim Smith speaks to Christine Burns , CIO at the University of New South Wales (UNSW) in Sydney, and Alison Cairns , EY Oceania Education Leader.  15 mins

What can the periodic table, a kitchen pantry and AI tell you about innovation? You can find out by listening to this inspiring discussion about the almost limitless potential of AI and innovation.  Join Mitra Taheri , a Professor in the Department of Materials Science and Engineering at Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore and Chief Scientist at the Pacific Northwest National Lab and Amy Jones ,...

From errors in facial recognition to large-scale disinformation campaigns, the impacts of artificial intelligence (AI) “going bad” can be huge. But so can the positive effects of these transformative technologies. Ethical governance, with human oversight, can help governments realize the benefits and mitigate the risks. And by understanding the failures, we can know where to innovate. Discussing t...

Public sector organizations have been using artificial intelligence (AI) for longer than many people realize, to do things such as predict the weather and spot speeding drivers. Today, these technologies are helping organizations to operate more efficiently and personalize their customer service — and we’re still just scratching the surface of what they offer.  Discussing AI’s history, current use...

The city of Paris has created a generative AI (GenAI) chatbot to make it easier for citizens to access social grants, while complementing — not replacing — the work of social workers. Discussing this innovative solution with host Tim Smith are Victoria Louvet , Senior Product Owner and Project Manager at EY Fabernovel, and Jessica Chamba , EY Global Human Services Leader. 14 mins

Innovation Unfolded is a Leading into Tomorrow mini-series exploring how innovation can unlock value across the public sector. In this episode, we look at how governments can connect citizens without leaving the disconnected behind. The answer: equality-centered design, AI technologies and a test-and-learn approach. Joining host Tim Smith for the discussion are Karl Hoods CBE, a Group Chief Digita...