“AI must not be luxury”: Why the digitization of public administration needs to speed up
AI is more than just hype. Julia Lupp from Amtshelden explains why public administration now needs central solutions, further training, and courage – for a state with a future.
Julia Lupp and Christian Rosenberger, founders of the Amtshelden programme. Image: Amtshelden
Artificial intelligence (AI) will fundamentally change public administration – and not sometime in the future, but right now. Julia Lupp, one of the founders of the Amtshelden (public service heroes) platform, sums it up: “We must immediately free natural intelligence – our employees – from meaningless, repetitive tasks.”
What sounds like automation is in fact a call for the state to ensure its strategic future viability. Given demographic trends and the shortage of skilled workers, the state simply cannot afford to be inefficient. AI can help relieve the burden on employees and give them back the space to focus on what really matters: advising and supporting people and making complex decisions.
AI is not an isolated solution – it is infrastructure
For Julia, one thing is clear: AI will soon be as ubiquitous as electricity or the internet. Its applications range from automated testing processes and citizen communication to decision-making and research support. But this progress also brings enormous challenges: technical, legal, and above all, human.
“The complexity is enormous. Technology is developing at breakneck speed, the legal situation is unclear, and many administrations are asking themselves: Where do we even start?” she says. At the same time, she senses concerns among employees in her work: Am I still needed? Am I good enough? How will this affect our job description?
What matters now: leadership, training, and cooperation
What is needed now? Good communication, targeted further training – and finally a centrally organized approach, says Julia: “If every administration has to reinvent AI for itself, we will be too slow – and overwhelm many authorities.” She believes that the new Federal Ministry for Digital and State Modernization has a duty to set guidelines, develop common standards, and pool expertise.
Courage, motivation, and participation – why SCCON is so important
For Julia, the Smart Country Convention is exactly the right place to discuss all of this. She says, “This is where so many Amtshelden, public service heroes, come together – people who are courageous, think outside the box, take responsibility, and are working together to set the public service on course for the future.”
Her conclusion: if we understand AI as part of a larger digital transformation and shape it in a smart, humane, and coordinated way, the state can become not only more efficient, but also more citizen-oriented and resilient. However, this requires speed, attitude, and cooperation.