The majority (70%) of public sector workers in Australia have reported that AI is now integrated into their daily tasks, surging from 58% one year ago, according to a report by Appian.
Luke Thomas, area vice president Asia Pacific and Japan at Appian, said: "It's really encouraging to see public sector workers becoming increasingly engaged with AI technologies as part of their daily roles."
However, Thomas warns against fragmented AI adoption, saying "it doesn't deliver the widespread improvements in productivity or resilience that public sector leaders are looking for"
Data challenges
The survey of 500 Australian public sector workers found that 72% report struggling with separate, disconnected databases within their organisation, rising from 56% in 2024.
The majority (64%) of staff say that these disconnected databases have reduced collaboration within their department or agency (up from 49% in 2024). More than half (53%) of workers find themselves working with incomplete, inaccessible information due to data siloes.
"As a result, AI is falling short, but it's not because of the technology itself. It falls short when organisations layer new tools on top of disconnected data, legacy systems and manual handoffs, conditions that make it impossible for technology to deliver its full value."
Thomas encourages organisations to identify the causes of bottlenecks, delays, and pain points.
"Only then can you determine where AI and other new technologies will meaningfully improve the process and deliver lasting impact."
