AI and the cloud: key factors for future-proof administration

Public administration is facing enormous challenges: a shortage of skilled workers, growing demands on service quality, and increasing complexity due to new laws and regulations. Two key technologies offer enormous opportunities here: artificial intelligence (AI) and cloud computing.

Efficiency and support through AI

AI can automate administrative processes while improving the quality of services. According to Bitkom, 82 percent of Germans would like to see AI used in public authorities. Examples include language models, image recognition, and anomaly detection. Pilot projects such as the AI Competence Center at Bundesdruckerei and the Consulting Center for Artificial Intelligence (BeKI) are already demonstrating how AI can support public administration – from speeding up application processing to proactive fraud detection.

Cloud technologies for digital sovereignty

Cloud solutions are considered the foundation for modern, flexible, and secure administration. The launch of the German Administration Cloud (DVC) in spring 2025 marks a milestone: federal, state, and local governments will be able to access digital resources independently and sovereignly in the future. A recent Bitkom survey shows that For 97 percent of companies, the origin of the provider plays a role – digital sovereignty is therefore not only a technical issue, but also a strategic one.

The state as a driver of innovation

Despite the great potential and initial pilot projects in the areas of AI and cloud computing, the road ahead for public administration remains rocky: fragmented responsibilities and a lack of standards are still slowing down widespread technological innovation. At the same time, the shortage of skilled workers is causing bottlenecks – public authorities and companies are competing for the same IT talent and skilled workers. In addition, the new complexity of legal requirements is causing delays and reservations about the ultimate deployment of the technologies.

Yet it is precisely now that the state can provide important impetus for a future-proof administration:

• Without a uniform governance model for comprehensive AI and cloud implementation, administration will remain inefficient. The new Digital Ministry can and should start here.
• Government measures such as improved training and continuing education opportunities, easier immigration conditions, and strategies for targeted talent recruitment will strengthen Germany as a center of innovation and the sovereign use of AI and cloud technologies.
• The removal of regulatory uncertainties increases the chances of rapid and efficient implementation of technological innovations. The government is called upon to create legal certainty for local authorities and public agencies in order to facilitate the use of AI and cloud technologies in public administration.