Gov Pod: Governments Transform Digitally

The cloud at hyperscale can improve the efficiency of maintenance and repair, a defense organization's biggest cost center. The cloud at the edge, intelligent machines mounted inside a vehicle or fighter jet, can gather, process and provide the information necessary to maintain an effective armed forces. This is the data-driven modern military.

Technology has reduced the lag in which military commanders can make decisions—from days to minutes. Why? Because the rapid increase of data, and intelligent technologies that provide new insights, can give soldiers in the field the real-time information they need to prevail.

When an offender enters the justice system, that person's needs may not be met because the paperwork involved often gets lost in the shuffle of the transfer between police, courts, and corrections. You'll hear how technology is beginning to play a part in tying agencies together to improve conditions inside the system while working to improve the outcomes upon release.

How can public safety agencies modernize and streamline their operations as they wrestle with greater need and lower funding? By introducing cloud computing and AI, police and first responders can tie disparate systems together and illuminate previously invisible correlations to become more effective and more efficient.

Social service providers know that half the job is paperwork. While necessary, it gets in the way of client interactions. Technologies like AI and the Internet of Things are beginning to help providers reduce workloads while maintaining client privacy. Even today, objects like smart watches or connected medical devices can help keep isolated seniors or disabled people safe by notifying caregivers when accidents happen. While the technology becomes more sophisticated, it will also become more people-focused.

They're a fact of life, but no one likes to deal with taxes. What if transformative technologies like AI and blockchain could simplify the process and, perhaps, make it enjoyable? Mia Reyes and Microsoft field experts explain how blockchain has the potential to make tax payments more secure while AI can help to increase compliance and reduce fraud—with a measure of empathy. Governments worldwide are experimenting with sophisticated tools to help citizens pay their taxes and make transactions more secure.

As governments and industry continue their adoption of AI and machine learning, many citizens wonder how all of this data will be used, and whether it's for their benefit. Mia Reyes talks with Microsoft field experts about how, when citizens see these transformative technologies being used for their benefit, they will become more confident and trusting. This show's featured guests come from around the globe and discuss how governments and citizens are using innovation to develop that trust.

What are transformative technologies like AI, IoT, and blockchain and how can governments use them to better interact with their citizens? Host Mia Reyes will take you on a tour of different ways that governments across the world, both at the national and municipal levels, have begun to leverage AI using chatbots, for example, or sensors to smooth traffic flow. Mia also discusses how governments that feel nervous about moving into these predictive technologies can dip their toes in to get started.