Make smart use of artificial intelligence
Artificial intelligence (AI) has been one of the major buzzwords over the last year, with some of the world’s largest tech companies racing to provide the best tools. AI represents enormous opportunities for social security, but also risks. Institutions must make smart use of AI.
Artificial intelligence is a must. Sooner or later, all social security institutions will be using AI in one form or the other. The ISSA has made it a priority to support member institutions in taking advantage of such powerful but challenging tools by deconstructing the complexity of building AI solutions and assisting its members in understanding how it works and how it can be of use. By increasing and spreading knowledge of how AI systems are built and exchanging experiences on the applications and the challenges they present, the ISSA supports member institutions to engage in leveraging this technology.
AI is rapidly transforming the way institutions deliver services and make strategic and operational decisions. It will change how we learn, work and live. It can improve quality and scale up capacity in social security service delivery. On the other hand, it also holds the risk of making grave mistakes, excluding citizens and not reaching those most in need. Understanding how AI works and how to make use of it in a safe way is therefore crucial. AI cannot be left to work on its own. There needs to be human oversight and critical decision making must be made by humans.
Members have requested that the ISSA helps deconstruct these issues, and the ISSA Technical Commission on Information and Communication Technology is actively involved in these efforts. AI was demonstrated in the Innovation Zone during at the World Social Security Forum in October 2022, a series of webinars on AI is ongoing and will be an important topic at the 17th ISSA International Conference on Information and Communication Technology in Social Security, planned in 2024. AI projects are also on the agenda of the ISSA Collaborative Innovation Hub.
In December 2022, the ISSA published the analysis Artificial intelligence in social security institutions: The case of intelligent chatbots. Worldwide, around 1 in 4 government agencies use chatbots and the article builds on examples from Belgium, Finland, Germany and Malaysia.
In November 2022, the ISSA launched a new AI webinar series and the Operating Unit on Policy-Driven Electronic Governance at the United Nations University is an important partner. The series looks at AI for automating service delivery, health claim processing, identifying data patterns, decision-making processes, extending coverage to vulnerable groups, and more. All webinars are recorded and available online.
