From carrying government files as a boy to a government that carries the burden: TAMM’s AI-Native vision

Abu Dhabi's government services platform, known as TAMM, is striving towards a model where the government takes on more responsibilities rather than relying on citizens to navigate services. Dr. Mohammed Al Askar, Director General of TAMM, shares how the government has transitioned from manual, paper-based processes to an AI-native model.

Al Askar recalls his childhood experiences carrying files for his father, a businessman, which gave him a personal perspective on the challenges of government bureaucracy. He emphasizes that while digitization is progress, it does not necessarily remove the burden from the people using the services. TAMM aims to integrate over 1,200 services into one seamless experience, with a high customer satisfaction rate of 94.5 per cent.

The ultimate goal is to move beyond simply putting services online, aiming to let technology handle more of government's complexity and create a government that can anticipate and act on citizens' needs before they are even realized. Al Askar warns against merely layering AI onto inefficient processes and stresses the importance of human judgment and responsibility.

He highlights the value AI brings, such as the time saved by UK government workers using AI, which averages 26 minutes a day. He concludes by cautioning that while AI has increased government productivity, it has also led to a loss of skills, urging a cautious approach and emphasizing that the direction of AI is ultimately in our hands, and it is our responsibility to shape a better future for generations to come.