{
  "id": 12474696,
  "title": "Agentic AI could fundamentally change how govts deliver public services: expert",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/06/agentic-ai-could-fundamentally-change-how-govts-deliver-public",
  "topic": "ai",
  "section": "AI",
  "published": "2026-10-06T21:00:00.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Gulf Times",
    "slug": "gulf-times",
    "url": "https://www.gulf-times.com/article/735067/qatar/agentic-ai-could-fundamentally-change-how-govts-deliver-public-services-expert"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Artificial intelligence (AI) is advancing to a new level where systems are not just generating information and suggestions, but also taking actions on behalf of users and possibly policymakers, according to Dr Hasnain Bokhari. Bokhari is the head of Digital Policy and Artificial Intelligence at Willy Brandt School of Public Policy, University of Erfurt, Germany. Speaking on the topic of 'Agentive AI, Digital Policy and the Future of Public Governance', he highlighted that the shift from 'AI that advises to AI that acts' could fundamentally transform how governments deliver public services and establish accountability. Unlike traditional generative AI, which mainly produces text, summarizes data or offers suggestions, agentive AI can be given a task and autonomously perform a series of actions to complete it. Bokhari examined the rapid growth of these autonomous AI systems and their impact on public governance, discussing the opportunities they present for enhancing public services, decision-making, and administrative efficiency, while also addressing the challenges they pose in terms of regulation, ethics, and accountability. He explained that while governments have invested in digitizing public services, the expansion of digital government has also highlighted issues like unequal internet access and technological infrastructure, particularly in developing nations. These challenges led to the acknowledgment of the digital divide and prompted governments to adopt multi-channel approaches to public service delivery. Bokhari noted that conventional e-government focused on technology as a software tool, while AI introduces new governance challenges, making the technology a delegated actor. He suggested that administrative law, which already governs the delegation of authority to human officials, could serve as a foundation for regulating AI agents granted permission to carry out tasks for public institutions. Bokhari posed several questions for policymakers, including the AI agent's mandate, authorized systems and information access, responsibility for its actions, the need for human permission at certain points, and accountability when an autonomous action causes harm. He emphasized that these questions become crucial because an AI agent can potentially perform multiple actions over time, not just provide a single recommendation. The expert stated that governments are exploring ambitious AI applications while determining the appropriate level of autonomy for these systems. He highlighted the potential benefits of agentive AI in government, such as creating an infrastructure that supports civil servants and delivers services based on citizens' life events instead of individual departments. Such systems could coordinate activities across agencies automatically, reducing the burden on citizens who currently must navigate multiple departments to complete a single task. Bokhari concluded that the transition to agentive AI signifies a shift in the relationship between technology, government authority, and citizens, moving beyond the human-machine distinction to the AI-authorized-action distinction.",
  "summary": "Artificial intelligence (AI) is entering a new phase in which systems are moving beyond generating information and recommendations to taking actions on behalf of users and potentially policymakers, ac...",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}