Wolf&Grayson EditorialGovernments have long faced pressure to do more with less. While budget constraints and rising expectations often stretch public services thin, AI offers a way to relieve pressure without cutting corners. By taking on time consuming administrative work, such as processing routine applications or compiling incident reports, AI helps public servants focus on the direct human needs that cannot be automated.
For Matt Engle, Senior Director of Product Strategy at Tyler Technologies, AI is most valuable when it makes systems easier to navigate and gives public servants more space to listen and respond. Communities receive quicker responses and clearer guidance because staff are less constrained by paperwork. “AI strengthens public service when it restores capacity rather than reduces headcount,” he says. While increasing efficiency remains important, he sees a deeper opportunity in using AI to help public institutions become better partners to their citizens by directing attention where care and judgment matter most.
“When AI clears the noise, people can finally hear what communities are asking for,” says Engle, who believes technology should focus on reducing friction and restoring clarity in public services. It’s an approach that depends on clear accountability. Humans remain responsible for decisions, fairness, and the trust communities place in public institutions. “AI should never be the moral actor in government. It doesn’t hold public trust. People do,” says Engle.
Where Humanity Gains the Most
Some of the most promising applications of AI are emerging in frontline public safety. For example, AI-powered reporting tools now remove much of the administrative burden traditionally placed on first responders. AI tools can auto-fill narrative fields from body camera audio and incident notes, meaning police officers type fewer reports and spend more time speaking with victims after domestic violence calls, checking on vulnerable residents, and engaging directly with neighborhood groups.
“Don’t measure AI success by how much labor you remove,” Engle says. “Measure it by how much human capacity you restore.” The quality of human interaction improves because the technology stays in the background.
Prioritization is another critical area. AI-driven triage systems can flag urgent cases that require immediate human attention while routing routine matters appropriately. This directs empathy and expertise to moments that truly demand them.
Culture Before Code
Building a future where AI enhances government requires leadership that puts people first. Citizens deserve to know why a system has made a particular recommendation and who stands behind the decision, whether that is a benefits case worker explaining an eligibility review or a police supervisor clarifying how an incident was prioritized. This clarity breeds trust by helping citizens understand the steps behind decisions that affect their daily lives, reinforcing technology as a tool of public service values rather than a threat to them.
Engle calls this a service quality mindset: shifting institutions away from optimizing internal metrics like call volumes or form completion rates, and towards improving lived experience, such as reducing the number of times a resident must repeat their story or wait for an answer that could have been resolved sooner. Leaders must articulate this vision early and often by setting expectations for transparency, publishing clear guidance on how AI supports decisions, and making it easy for people to challenge outcomes when they feel something is unfair.
A Future Where Citizens Feel Seen
Looking ahead, Engle envisions a government AI ecosystem defined by anticipation rather than reaction. Systems that recognize needs early, connect information responsibly, and route citizens towards the right human support before they feel lost in the process.
“A truly human centered government AI ecosystem is one where citizens feel seen, not processed,” he says. In that future, AI would be able to remove friction while humans remain visible, accountable, and trusted. Ultimately, the measure is human connection. “AI allows public servants to be what they were always meant to be, which is present, thoughtful and deeply human in service of their communities,” Engle says.
