Opinion

The public is ready for government chatbots to deliver the high-value customer experience often found in the private sector, according to a survey. The benefits are significant, but developing new technologies will take work.

The 2016 presidential election launched a set of cybersecurity concerns that still exist today. With a repeat of the troubles from four years ago seemingly certain, the U.S. is engaged in a cyberwar that it’s losing.

Licensing is a critical part of setting and maintaining professional standards. Without a well-designed processing system, however, everybody suffers. Here’s what can be done to ensure a successful transformation.

Now that the initial hype around the smart cities movement has begun to fade, gov tech leaders must examine how to use those technologies to do the most good for citizens and stakeholders alike.

Disruption has long been a cornerstone of technology innovation, and new “hacks” to old problems remain essential to dreaming up and creating what’s new and what’s next — and asking whether we even need it.

Cyberattacks are on the rise at all levels of government, but many small jurisdictions do not have the resources to protect themselves. Their vulnerability affects states and the federal government, who must pitch in.

Millennials now outnumber baby boomers in the public-sector workforce, and IT is no exception. Leaders must work with HR and create incentives and pathways to keep the next generation engaged and on board.

Technology will dominate how we vote in the 2020 presidential elections, and so will the risks. To avoid problems, we need to get back to the basics with paper ballots and use risk-limiting audits to verify the results.

There is often a tension between law enforcement’s use of novel technologies to gather information that might help hold lawbreakers accountable and the civil liberties of the residents they protect.

Never the cleanest or simplest process, the caucuses this year were saddled with new procedures, new rules and new mathematical calculations, all requiring specialized training of participants and leaders.

Google and Alphabet CEO Sundar Pichai has called for government regulations on artificial intelligence, doing so with an opinion piece in the Financial Times that has left some experts in the space with questions.

As Attorney General William Barr calls for Apple to unlock a phone used by the suspect charged with killing sailors at a Florida Navy Base, it is important to consider the privacy implications of setting a precedent.

To make this group of government workers more productive, they need access to consumer technologies, but with the right parameters, such as operational intelligence, to ensure success at every level.

As officials in Ohio continue to promote the idea of creating a centralized criminal-sentencing database for the state, stakeholders are now suggesting that new blockchain technology could be the answer.

Closed-circuit TVs are everywhere, but limited in what they can do. However, machine-learning software can convert them into proactive tools for a range of public uses, including traffic management and public safety.

The days when communities relied on sirens to warn about emergencies have passed. Advances in technology can provide officials with much more effective early warning tools that provide targeted information in real time.

All levels of government, as well as the private sector, face growing dangers from cyberthreats. That’s why there needs to be a centralized approach to cyberpolicies before a crisis occurs.

Our first issue of the new year looks at where government technology has been, where it’s going and offers perspective on the growing ecosystem of private industry that has formed around public-sector IT.