Accenture Federal Services’ Margaret Smith Describes How AI Can Support Federal Operations

Margaret Smith, senior manager of analytics at Accenture Federal Services, has said artificial intelligence is now mature and ready, particularly in the area of image detection, to help the federal government enhance operations. 

“I think today we're finished perfecting it and ready to use it,” Smith told FedScoop in an interview.

She highlighted AI could help agencies increase situational awareness for public safety, with available algorithms built to analyze publicly available footage of events to predict potential threats or anomalies. 

Automation could help attract people to adopt the technology as it could cut the workload for people, but AI should serve as an assistant and not as a replacement for employees from certain jobs, Smith noted.

She recommended that the government identify tasks that people commonly prefer to avoid and introduce automation to that area to support. Smith also urged agencies to adopt AI as part of effort to simplify government operations.