Top technology trends in government for 2024
Governments are under mounting pressure to meet citizen demands faster and more creatively. They must find innovative ways to deliver modern, accessible and resilient services using sustainable and scalable technology. The ‘Top Technology Trends in Government in ’ report from Gartner highlights the top trends that public sector leaders need to embrace in 2024 to navigate this challenging landscape.
Five top government technology trends in 2024
The report identifies five key technology trends for 2024:
- Adaptive security
- Digital identity ecosystems
- AI for decision intelligence
- Digital platform agility
- Programmatic data management
According to Gartner, public sector leaders must consider how these trends will impact their organisations and invest in these areas to improve digital capabilities and create future-ready government organisations.
Three core priority areas for government leaders
The report also grouped the top technology trends in 2024 into three priority areas:
- Realise risk
- Reimagine value
- Evolve operations
Top technology trends in government in 2024 - Gartner
| Realise risk | Reimagine value | Evolve operations |
|---|---|---|
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Realise risk
In 2024, government leaders must prioritise building trust and confidence in digital services. This can be done by quickly adapting to emerging technologies and public policies, addressing citizens' needs, ensuring service availability, and exceeding expectations for privacy, security and ethical data handling.
Adaptive security
Gartner predicts that the use of multiagent AI (systems composed of multiple intelligent agents that interact with each other to solve complex problems) in threat detection and incident response will skyrocket from 5% to 70% of AI implementations by 2028. This shift brings new opportunities and challenges for government agencies. To stay ahead of the game, public sector leaders must embrace an adaptive security model that continuously adjusts tools, techniques, and talent to match the changing threat landscape.
The Australian Government is already taking proactive steps in this direction, setting up an AI advisory and collaborating with industry to develop usage guidelines. Gartner also that Australian organisations will invest over AU$7.3 billion in security and risk management in 2024.
Read more on how Australia is governing the use of AI
Reimagine value
According to Gartner, government leaders must adopt methodologies like agile practices that can deliver improved outcomes without significant new technology investments. By maximising value from existing ecosystems and eliminating waste, government agencies can harness new and existing data to implement digital strategies that will enhance citizen experiences while simultaneously keeping costs down.
Digital identity ecosystems
Digital identity in government is a key technology trend that includes user authentication, unique identifiers and credential verification, such as smartphone-based identity wallets. The report predicted that by 2026, at least 500 million smartphone users will regularly use digital identity wallets built on distributed ledger technology. Government leaders can strengthen their digital identity strategy by focusing on use cases and partnerships that transcend traditional sector boundaries, adding greater value for all stakeholders.
In line with this trend, the Australian Government has developed myID (formerly myGov ), a digital identity that allows citizens to access services, confirm their age, show their driver's license, and more while giving them control over their data and protecting their privacy.
AI for decision intelligence
According to the report, AI-enhanced decision-making is another top technology trend in 2024, with over 70% of government agencies expected to leverage AI by 2026. To capitalise on this trend, government organisations must prioritise AI adoption and governance, focusing on desired outcomes and continuous assurance to ensure proper implementation and maintenance.
Evolve operations
Government leaders must adapt to changes in the workforce profile, driven by hybrid return-to-office policies and the opportunities presented by an artificially augmented workforce. To navigate these shifts, they need to prioritise reimagining the future workforce, investing in platform capabilities and maximising the potential of existing data ecosystems to deliver new services.
Digital platform agility
The adoption of platform-based solutions, such as industry cloud and low-code application platforms, is rapidly gaining traction among government organisations. These solutions enable quick deployment of business capabilities, address risks associated with outdated systems, and provide the flexibility and scalability needed to meet citizen service demands. Thus, digital platform agility is another top trend in 2024.
Australia, ranked fifth globally by the UN in e-government development, is accelerating digital technology to maintain its position as a leading digital economy by 2030. The government aims to achieve this by delivering user-friendly, world-class digital services that simplify citizen interactions and ensure the government is ready for the digital age.
Programmatic data management
Government leaders are increasingly demanding data-driven decision-making and planning. Programmatic data management is emerging as a systematic and scalable approach to enable enterprise-wide use of data assets. This trend is being driven by automation platforms and their ability to incorporate AI capabilities. Gartner predicts that more than 60% of government organisations will prioritise investment in business process automation by 2026, up from 35% in 2022.
As data remains the foundation of decision-making in government, leaders must enhance the quality and efficiency of data at scale by improving the rules and structures that govern it, especially with the growing proliferation of AI.
In 2023, the Australian Government launched the Data and Digital Government , the first combined data and digital strategy for the government. It serves as a blueprint for the use and management of data and digital technologies through 2030. The Strategy also sets out how data will be used to:
- Drive job growth
- Drive competition
- Tailor, target and deliver better government services
- Ensure the appropriate infrastructure and safeguards are in place to maximise the use of data
- Ensure data protection
Salsa Digital’s take
The top technology trends in government for 2024 showcase a strong emphasis on increased AI adoption and more effective use of digital technologies. From adaptive security and digital identity ecosystems to AI-enhanced decision-making and programmatic data management, these trends underscore the importance of leveraging advanced technologies to meet citizens' evolving needs and deliver efficient, secure and personalised government services. The Australian Government is at the forefront of these trends, with comprehensive strategies and robust platforms already in place, such as the implementation of a digital identity system, setting up AI advisory bodies, and the launch of the Data and Digital Government .
As we move forward, we anticipate a significant acceleration in the adoption of AI and digital platforms across the government sector to meet citizens' growing demands for transparency, speed and efficiency.
At Salsa Digital, we’re excited to witness the transformative impact of these technology trends on the government landscape and remain committed to supporting government agencies and organisations to leverage these technologies to drive innovation, improve service delivery, and better serve the Australian people.