Transforming government services with AI

What’s the true benefit of essential services, business support and veteran assistance if constituents have trouble accessing them when they're needed most? 

Too often, government services feel like a maze: long wait times, confusing forms and dead-end websites. And it’s not because staff aren’t trying. Agencies are doing their best, but they’re held back by legacy systems, shrinking teams and tight budgets.

This is where AI comes in. Not as another buzzword, but as a real, practical way to help governments meet today’s challenges. Advances in intelligent models and interactive systems, especially agentic AI, are opening new doors to make public services more responsive, accessible and efficient.

How agentic AI unlocks better experiences

Think of agentic AI as a smart assistant that doesn’t just answer questions — it gets things done.

Instead of waiting for a user to take every step manually, agentic AI can take action on their behalf. It can guide someone through an application, trigger approvals across departments, auto-check eligibility and keep the process moving, even across siloed systems.

Imagine this:

• A flood survivor logs into a single portal. They’re guided step-by-step to apply for temporary housing, food assistance and emergency funds, without needing to know which agency does what.

• Behind the scenes, the system verifies data, routes forms and updates records. No back-and-forth emails required.

• A government staffer sees a complete picture of that person’s case in one place. Less paperwork. More time to help.

None of this happens by stitching tools together. It requires product thinking: designing end-to-end service journeys that center people and outcomes from the start, while orchestrating AI capabilities to truly deliver the results government agencies seek.

That’s the approach behind Thoughtworks’ Seamless Government Experience (SGX) — a platform powered by agentic AI, cloud technology and advanced analytics. By combining AI with deep product thinking, we help agencies simplify services, reduce friction and focus on what matters most: improving the lives of citizens.

Where agentic AI makes the biggest difference

Integrated into platforms like SGX, agentic AI can reshape how public services are delivered:

• Personalized navigation and guidance: Instead of a confusing list of options, constituents get tailored guidance based on their specific needs, from eligibility checks to the next steps in the process.
• Automated eligibility screening and application intake: Agentic AI pre-fills forms, checks documents and runs eligibility rules across multiple programs in real time. This saves staff time so constituents get support faster.
• Intelligent, cross-agency workflow orchestration: Most public services involve multiple departments. Agents coordinate tasks across silos, sending referrals, verifying documents via APIs, updating records and keeping everyone in sync. 
• AI-augmented support for staff: Agentic AI can surface relevant case history, flag incomplete steps, recommend programs and even generate summaries or draft responses. That means staff spend less time digging and more time solving.
• Creating scalable communication channels: AI-powered virtual agents can handle common requests 24/7, from general questions to application updates, freeing human agents for more complex issues.

Real impact, for real people

When done right, public sector transformation isn’t just about upgrading systems — it’s about improving the experience for everyone who depends on them. Here's how that translates in practice:

For constituents: Accessing government services becomes easier, more transparent and less stressful. With a unified portal and a "no wrong door" approach, they can navigate programs and submit applications across agencies intuitively.

For government staff: Routine administrative tasks are significantly reduced. With AI-powered support, staff gain better information access and a fuller view of constituent needs, improving decision-making, operational efficiency and resource allocation.

Can my organization start leveraging agentic AI?

Yes, and you don’t need to start with a massive overhaul to see results.

Our approach is built around entry point use cases and practical applications that drive immediate impact. That could mean starting with one high-friction life event, or a single process that’s heavy on paperwork and pain points.

Because SGX is designed for the public sector's unique challenges — with modular, pre-built accelerators — implementation can be incremental and adaptable. Build a minimum viable product (MVP), show value quickly and expand from there.

Thoughtworks: Your partner in public services transformation

Transforming government services takes more than technology. It takes a partner who understands the public sector and how to drive change across complex stakeholder environments.

With over 30 years of experience working with government organizations worldwide, Thoughtworks brings the strategic insight, human-centered design and world-class engineering needed to deliver lasting impact. 

Our agile, iterative approach minimizes risk and ensures solutions evolve with real-world use. This integration of product thinking and deep customer understanding with AI technologies is what truly sets us apart, ensuring successful outcomes for citizens and agencies alike.

Ready to move from complexity to clarity? Contact us to explore how agentic AI and SGX can help you transform service delivery.