In 2025, artificial intelligence ceased to be a specialist topic and became an obsession. Suddenly, all wanted to “put AI” in the State. Some out of conviction, others out of fashion and others not to be left out.
But this leaves an uncomfortable question, Are we using AI to improve governance or just to say we use AI?
The world is moving forward and comparison is inevitable
As people and businesses adopted AI to work better, faster and with less friction, the gap with the state became apparent. Not because the state got worse, but because it the rest of the ecosystem became brutally more efficient.
Today, any citizen can solve in minutes tasks that used to take hours. And when they then have to deal with paperwork that requires paper, stamps, transfers and waiting, the difference is felt and felt a lot.
This is not an ideological criticism of the bureaucracy, but a realistic description of what is happening.
When the ad goes faster than reality
In this context, cases appeared that made a lot of noise. That of Albania with its “IA minister” and, closer to home, the one of Zarate with his “IA officer”.
These are initiatives that work perfectly as a political communication strategy, but it should be said without beating around the bush: a tool is not a subject of law, does not sign valid administrative acts or assume responsibilities. It doesn't matter how much AI you have.
It is neither illegal nor dangerous, but it is not a paradigm shift or a revolution in the way the State works. It is just one more tool -as it was already in many governments- with the particularity of having a quota of pure and simple political marketing.
Where AI does start to make sense
The good news is that there were also real developments, perhaps less strident but much more interesting.
At Escobar, for example, began to be used artificial intelligence to analyze bidding processes and improve transparency. There is no virtual character or bombastic slogan, but there is a concrete impact on how public resources are managed.
This district, which is noted for its focus on innovation (and is part of the Cities for AI Coalition), also implemented. “Flora”, a conversational agent that, among other uses, allows Citizens to obtaining medical appointments, initiating urban applications (e.g. pruning and maintenance) or take the first steps of a trade authorization. Because it is not about “having a chatbot with AI”, but about solving real and concrete needs.
At Villarino, In addition, officials from different areas involved in critical procedures met to improve the impact on citizens. An AI tool systematized the meetings and compared the results with current regulations, identifying conflicts and proposing improvements aimed at simplifying processes and simplifying procedures. reduce management times.
In the same district, in the face of a water shortage situation, the tool was also used for optimize drinking water distribution routes, prioritizing the areas of greatest need.
Another outstanding case was that of Viedma, where a tool was implemented for intelligent tax analysis AI-driven, which made it possible to identify trends, disparities and even perform interactive exercises comparing different tax scenarios.
There were also regulatory developments. The Province of Buenos Aires advanced in a framework for the responsible use of artificial intelligence in the Public Administration, understanding that innovating without clear rules increases the risks that all innovation entails.
At Mendoza, For some time now, AI has been applied to detect micro-dumps. And in San Miguel de Tucumán, In addition to creating an Artificial Intelligence Directorate, the teams of the Operations and Monitoring Center were trained to operate some 300 cameras with intelligent AI functions, i.e., technology at the service of a specific function (citizen protection).
The Legislative Branch is not lagging behind and there are already several initiatives in different City Councils to analyze Ordinances using tools that work with artificial intelligence.
Old processes, paper and lack of training
Now, it must be said what many avoid: in places where progress has not yet been made, the main problem is not the lack of AI, it is the way in which the state still functions..
In about 96% of the cases (data from Argentina based on the latest report from Wai), the Public Administration continues to revolve around paper. Physical files, manual circuits, papers that get lost... In other words, processes designed for another century.
In this scenario, Implementing AI without first getting processes in order and training people is like putting a Formula 1 car on a dirt road. It's not the technology that fails, it's the approach.
First, operational management must be simplified, digitized and organized. Simple tools, clear flows, trained teams. Then, and only then, can artificial intelligence make a real difference.
What 2025 really left us
AI alone is not going to change our lives. It won't replace decisions, it won't fix messy organizations, and it won't make up for a lack of planning. But it will has enormous potential to improve how the state understands problems, allocates resources and responds to citizens.
If 2025 made one thing clear, it is that the discussion is already in place. The challenge now is for the implementation to live up to the discourse and for AI to stop being a slogan and become an effective tool at the service of public management.
Can AI in the State really improve the quality of life of citizens?
-
NDR: For this report Wai, In addition to publications in the media, official communications from agencies and our own experiences, we also used the Digital Repository of the Universidad de Los Andes (Colombia), carried out with the support of the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB).
