By Maxine
Paintain
Innovation has always excited me as I’m curious about the new and
the bold. Taking a leap of faith into the unknown can feel
uncomfortable, but it’s great when that turns into something
valuable.
At a recent GovTech conference I was able to hear about some
amazing digital transformation happening in other departments
from across the world, as well as start-ups, academic
institutions and businesses. Here are my top takeaways from the
conference that I would like to share:
1. The focus and excitement on the possibilities of AI
are still growing.
Advances are rapidly being made and there were some great
examples of how AI is being used shared at the summit,
particularly across healthcare service delivery. Virtual
assistants are used to navigate appointments, accessing advice
promptly and supporting check-ups. Health issues can be diagnosed
using mobile apps much easier through the use of digital imagery
that can be processed using neural network algorithms. This can
provide quicker treatment and have great benefits in areas with
limited access to medical equipment.
There are many other examples globally where AI and automation
are not only making work processes more efficient but are
improving quality and guiding decision making. The Product
community at Justice Digital are working with the Alan Turing
institute to pilot learning in AI ethics, which is key when we
think about making safe, sustainable choices around using AI in
our products and services. Right now, we are developing
collaborative relationships with our data colleagues to test the
value of AI.
2. Immersive and augmented environments have a lot of
potential.
Virtual Reality (VR) is becoming an increasing part of our daily
life, people of tomorrow already operate in a virtual world with
identities and relationships virtually formed.
We can already try experiences or products before we purchase
them, by briefly encountering them in a virtual existence. VR can
help us to see planned future improvements or changes in the
physical world, e.g. as part of the development of new housing
communities, facilities or other public projects.
The metaverse may be the place where people exist in the future
to interact, connect, and even work. Whilst we may find ways in
which virtual reality helps enhance experiences and quickly
deliver services, I think there will always be a basic need to
interact as humans in a physical environment. Will there ever be
a world where government services exist in augmented reality and
can be accessed and completed by wearing a pair of smart glasses,
or through an AR enabled device?
3. We all play a role in building and growing a culture
of innovation.
What I have learned is that innovation is not just about
technology. Sure, it’s a big component – but it’s also about
culture and mindsets too.
Connecting new ideas, new approaches and possibilities of the
future to solve problems helps the acceleration of digital
transformation and is at the heart of true innovation.
Creating safe spaces where the experimentation of new ideas and
technology can take place is something that we can all take part
in, and sharing lessons is key to creating even more value.
4. Diverse thinking and perspectives are key.
I have experienced the real benefits of working with experts or
others that just sometimes think differently. The greatest
innovators and entrepreneurial minds are probably a little
unconventional in government, but we should seek them out by
bringing in experts, academics, data scientists and more.
The pace of change in digital transformation is hard to keep up
with. A huge innovation ecosystem exists out there where you can
connect with a start-up, academia, or technology consultants to
find out more about the latest trends and ideas.
I’d encourage anyone reading this to be curious – we all need to
find ways in which we can feel more comfortable in trying new
approaches and experimenting. Even if this leads to failure then
that is successful in itself. Learning about what not to do is
equally, if not more important, than finding out what to do.
So, try taking that leap of faith with a new idea, solution or an
untested approach. Look ahead into the horizon, be curious and
see where it takes you.