Government Agencies Test, yet Wary of Adopting Generative AI
Recent webinar participants have mixed feelings on the Advent of GenAI
Recently, Portal26 was fortunate to participate in a webinar with nearly 400 federal, state and local government cybersecurity professionals on the risks and rewards of Generative AI. During the webinar, participants were asked a few survey questions, and we found the results of those questions interesting, sometimes surprising, and supportive of what we’ve been hearing over the last year. Here are a few highlights:
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1. Most programs are in their nascent or planning stages
Only 6% of respondents had widespread adoption of GenAI in their organization. Almost 20% are in some type of POC (proof of concept), with more than half of those delivering limited success. Almost 29% are still looking into using GenAI, while 7% currently have no plans at all to use the emerging technology. Surprisingly, almost 19% are still not sure what they will be doing.
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2. Generative AI is Not Yet a Priority
Based on the implementation numbers in the above stats, it’s not surprising to learn that only 25% of those queried saw GenAI as a top priority. A third saw it as important, but down their list as a medium priority; 20% saw it as a low priority, and a full 22% are undecided – probably making that more a lower priority on their list.
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3. Breaches are happening, Both Known and Unknown
Just 4% of the organizations admitted to serious and damaging GenAI breaches occurring, while another 16% said they had breaches that were quickly contained. Just over 40% say they have seen unsuccessful attempts at breaches. The most unsettling number is that almost 25% are unsure if they have had a breach of any kind.
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4. Despite concerns, most are excited about GenAI
Nearly half of the respondents were very, or somewhat, excited about the daily use of GenAI. Another 36% were both excited and concerned, while 15% were somewhat to very-concerned about its use.
So, what do these numbers tell us – government agencies see great potential in Generative AI, but are moving cautiously to implement. It’s not unusual for government agencies to allow the private sector to take the lead in developing and proving out use cases for new technologies, even ones with the transformative nature of Generative AI.
Part of what’s holding these organizations back is the lack of governance and security required ensuring Generative AI is adopted responsibly and safely. We built Portal26 to rapidly enable the guardrails, security, forensics, and education required to confidently test and roll out GenAI at scale. We invite you to meet with us and see first-hand how we are helping government and private organizations embrace the benefits of GenAI.