How emerging technologies are shaping the future of digital services

Earlier this week Government Transformation Magazine attended the TechNExt Scrumconnect Newcastle conference, which brought together key players from across government, the tech industry, and research institutes to explore how emerging technologies are shaping the future of digital services.

Inclusive design and accessibility

The conference began with a compelling talk by Craig Abbott, Design Manager at Elastic and former Head of Accessibility at the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP).

Abbott emphasised the necessity for organisations to exceed the standard Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) and match the increasing awareness and expectations of citizens with greater integration of accessibility throughout the service design process.

Shifting from reactionary to anticipatory, Abbott, who has autism and ADHD, noted that whilst the government and the private sector have broadly adopted the legally essential aspects of the WCAG guidelines, this reactionary approach tends to overlook the needs of individuals with cognitive disabilities. 

Advocating for a social model of disabilities, Abbott argued for a shift in accountability to public services, ensuring they are inclusive of all needs, not just those of neurotypical individuals. “People aren’t disabled by their impediments, they’re disabled by their environments,” he emphasised.

He demonstrated the practical impact of this approach by showing how a colour-coded Office for National Statistics diagram appears uniformly beige to a colour-blind person, compromising their ability to interpret essential public information.

Drawing from his experience at DWP, Abbott recommended integrating accessibility considerations throughout the design process, rather than at a single verification stage, to ensure comprehensive accountability and inclusivity.

Discussing end-to-end delivery & AI

Following Abbott’s talk, a panel discussion featured Abbott, Jack Perschke (Founding Director of the Centre for GenAIOps), Mac Misiura (Data Scientist at the National Innovation Centre for Data), and Steph Clish (Head of Product at Wordnerds.ai).

The panel identified the biggest barrier to digital transformation as ensuring end-to-end delivery. Abbott noted a troubling trend in government projects being abandoned in the beta phase, often due to a culture that prioritises the latest technology over disciplined, sustained effort.

Jack Perschke discussed the potential for GenAI in the public sector, predicting that professions reliant on data management might be replaced by AI.

He expressed optimism about creating new employment opportunities, stating, “Disruption in the job market is natural when new technologies emerge, and effective automation will always reduce labour as a point of definition.”

However, he cautioned against using AI for critical decisions without understanding the underlying processes and emphasised the need for continuous monitoring and replacement of ineffective AI systems.

Abbott added that awareness of AI biases, derived from the data they are trained on, is crucial, advocating for diverse representation within AI teams to ensure more equitable design outcomes.

Future of digital services

The conference concluded with insights from Paul Wealls, Director of Strategic Initiatives at Intel, and Rashik Parmar, Group CEO of BCS, The Chartered Institute for IT.

Wealls pointed out that the rapid adoption of AI is outpacing public understanding and education, highlighting the importance of data security and responsible guidance for younger generations. He predicted a decline in the app economy and a rise in LLM chat-based digital experiences.

Parmar outlined three laws of digitisation:

1. If it can be digitised, it will be
2. When it gets digitised, the value becomes free
3. The data from digitisation becomes the new value

He warned about the increasing sophistication of AI scams, such as using AI-generated voices for blackmail, and stressed the importance of data security and ethical innovation. Parmar also forecasted significant market potential in using digital twin technology to reduce waste and contribute to the $4.5 trillion circular economy market.

Accelerating digital transformation

Wealls emphasised the importance of multidisciplinary collaboration for accelerating digital transformation.

He advocated for starting with problem statements and keeping end users in mind, stating, “If I go into a board room and talk about tech, everyone turns to the tech person in the room as if it’s their problem. Shifting the culture to be more participatory will be really important,” with the spike in hackathons being an encouraging sign for greater collaboration.