The world is rushing to adopt artificial intelligence and, as it does, a fear is growing. As services become more automated, there is a worry they will become less human. This is especially true when it comes to government, which can risk leaving citizens and residents in a maze of chatbots and automated choices. There is a vital level of compassion required in public service and it is in danger of being replaced by an emotionless algorithm. It’s called the “empathy deficit” – a fundamental limitation of AI.
It is a valid fear. If leaders handle this digital evolution poorly, a massive loss of human connection between a government and the people it governs is exactly what will happen.
The cause is clear. Right now, many institutions are proudly spending billions on advanced technology to process the exact same paperwork faster and with fewer people. Bolting next-gen tools onto outdated, frustrating systems means viewing AI merely as a quick and easy way to cut costs. This “efficiency trap” commonly catches those wishing to implement AI without truly understanding its capabilities.
When speed and money are the only objectives, human connection is lost. If a government takes a technology as sophisticated and capable as AI and only uses it to lay off staff and speed up old administration, it creates a cold, disconnected system. But we do not need a robotic government. We need a more human one.
To build this kinder, more compassionate government, we must completely rethink what a public servant does every day. Historically, they have been buried under endless paperwork, spending their days checking forms, verifying dates and processing routine approvals. When a social worker or a frontline agent is drowning in administration, they have no time to actually listen to the people who need their help.
AI offers a profound opportunity to fix this, but it calls for a shift in perception. It requires us to view the technology neither as an “app” nor a replacement for human workers, but as a collaborative partner. This is “co-cognition”. Machines are exceptional at finding patterns, processing vast amounts of data and handling repetitive tasks. Humans excel at judgement, ethical reasoning and true compassion. Together they can deliver a service that truly benefits people.
Abu Dhabi’s goal of becoming an AI native government is built around this division of labour, training newly constructed systems to anticipate needs. Instead of someone filling out forms and standing in queues to apply for the renewal of a trade licence or a disability card, a digital platform with AI at its very core can prompt this automatically. It can then either approve it, request more information or refer it for human oversight if there’s an issue.
By behaving proactively, effective governments can remove the friction from daily life and serve people better. The result is potentially tens of millions of hours returned to the public every year that can then be spent with their families or on passion projects, as opposed to standing in endless queues or on hold on the phone.
When an automated system handles the endless stream of routine approvals, it effectively wipes the empathy deficit. A social worker can spend their day visiting homes. A customer service agent can sit down with someone facing a complex, deeply personal problem and truly help them navigate it. Hand the paperwork over to technology so that people can handle the human connection.
But making this shift takes work. You cannot run a smart government without a confident, highly skilled workforce. Staff need to be upskilled and taught how to govern AI ethically and how to use data to design better policies. Training alone is also not enough to improve performance. It’s important to build a workplace that supports its people. When staff feel supported in their own lives they are more likely to deliver empathetic care to others through work.
Ultimately, global institutions must stop viewing AI as a shortcut to efficiency. The cities that prosper in the future will not measure their success simply by the speed of their services. They will measure it by how effectively they care for their people. By investing deeply in the AI skills of public servants as well as their wellbeing, we can build a future where this new technology actually restores human connection, as opposed to removing it.
