Advancing citizen-first public services through AI and digital transformation
BARCELONA, Spain, March 25, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- A news report from SmartCitiesWorld
With governments worldwide turning to AI-driven digital transformation, Huawei took centre stage to explore how integrated platforms, data intelligence and "chat‑to‑process" innovations are reshaping service delivery, boosting efficiency and raising satisfaction across the public sector.
Governments across the world are under growing pressure to deliver faster, more accessible and more transparent services for citizens. Driven by ageing populations, rising citizen expectations and budget constraints, administrations are having to rethink how public services are designed and delivered – and AI-enabled digital solutions are helping their cause.
Together, these challenges, plus their potential solutions, were a central focus at the Global AI+ Public Service Summit, held by Huawei Government Public Services Digitalization BU during Mobile World Congress Barcelona 2026 (MWC). During the Summit, public sector leaders, technology experts and policymakers gathered to discuss how digitalization and AI can transform government services and improve the daily lives of citizens.
As Saeed Xia, President of Huawei Global Public Service BU, explained during the Summit at MWC, the scale of the challenge is global. "Governments worldwide face fragmented portals, limited online services, long processing times, and poor experiences due to data silos, lack of integration, and weak digital-intelligent capabilities," he said.
These structural barriers have real consequences for citizens, such as long waiting times, repetitive paperwork and complex administrative processes. These issues can undermine trust and reduce satisfaction with public services, which is why addressing these issues has become a central pillar of national digital transformation strategies.
Digital government as a strategic priority
Digital government programmes are designed not only to improve service delivery but also to strengthen governance, reduce costs and increase transparency.
According to Xia, these efforts are about more than simply adopting new technologies: "Digital transformation of government is a global imperative, with three core goals – boosting international influence and economic growth, modernising governance to cut costs and build trust, and improving public services to raise citizen satisfaction."
Citizens increasingly expect convenient, personalised public services available on mobile devices at any time, moving away from traditional, bureaucratic approaches. To achieve this, governments must move beyond isolated digital projects and instead build integrated platforms that connect departments, data and services.
A blueprint for AI-driven public services
During the Summit, Huawei unveiled its Global Public Service Solution, designed to support governments in building intelligent, citizen-centred service systems.
The solution provides a blueprint for how countries can modernise public service delivery using digital infrastructure, data platforms and AI-powered applications. At its core is an architecture built on the idea of "1 digital foundation + 1 intelligent platform + N industry applications", with the goal to create a service environment that is seamless, efficient and accessible across multiple channels.
Xia described the vision as one where public services become truly citizen-first: "The ideal public service is people-oriented, efficient and transparent. It provides 24/7 one-stop services across channels, with online-offline integration, paperless and single-visit completion," he said.
This model aims to simplify the citizen experience by enabling users to access multiple services through unified portals, mobile apps, kiosks or service centres. Instead of navigating multiple agencies and forms, citizens can complete complex processes through a single digital interface.
Huawei's approach also focuses heavily on data integration and AI capabilities. The architecture includes a service platform for online service delivery, a data platform for secure data management and governance, and an AI platform capable of supporting applications such as natural language processing, digital assistants and automated approvals.
AI and the emergence of "chat-to-process" services
Governments are increasingly using AI-powered chatbots, voice assistants and automated verification tools to speed up routine interactions and improve service delivery.
Huawei envisions "chat-to-process" services, enabling citizens to complete administrative tasks simply by interacting with an AI interface. This streamlines government interactions – citizens can state their needs in natural language instead of dealing with forms or websites. Public administrations also benefit from reduced manual work and faster approvals – with Huawei estimating this can raise citizen satisfaction and management efficiency by about 30 per cent.
One example comes from Shenzhen, where the government's iShenzhen app includes an intelligent AI assistant which supports enquiries and queries related to more than 50 topics across 4,000 common public services for citizens – including childbirth and adoption, social security and human resources, work safety, establishment and alteration of enterprises, and more.
Known as Shenxiao i, the assistant features capabilities for intelligent Q&A, chatting and handling, and intelligent policy services. Its intention recognition rate – its ability to understand the purpose or goal of an enquiry – is around 97 per cent, with a response rate of more than 97 per cent, and accuracy of response over 94 per cent. Altogether, this drastically reduces the time it takes for citizens to find answers to their queries. Previously, for example, citizens needing to know which documents they'd need to set up a newborn child's medical insurance would have needed to call a hotline. Now, the answer can be obtained in seconds through the iShenzhen app.
Shenzhen Longgang as a global demonstration site
To illustrate how AI-powered public services can work in practice, Huawei and the Shenzhen Longgang Government Service Center have jointly launched the Shenzhen Longgang AI+ Public Service Global Demonstration Site.
The initiative showcases how digital platforms and AI technologies can transform service delivery across multiple levels of government. The demo site integrates services across district, street, community and campus levels to illustrate what a seamless administrative experience is like, combining intelligent service systems with integrated approval processes.
The project is designed to show how digital transformation can reduce waiting times and simplify citizen interactions. For example, the system's intelligent customer service platform uses large language models to integrate hotlines, service counters and self-service resources. Integrating these allows citizens to access support through their preferred channels while ensuring consistent responses.
The platform has achieved a hotline connectivity rate of 98 per cent to date, while AI-powered verification systems have pushed approval accuracy to more than 95 per cent. These results illustrate the potential for AI to transform everyday government services, from licensing and permits to social services and administrative requests.
Toward citizen-first government services
Through discussion at Global AI+ Public Service Summit at MWC, and Huawei's latest releases and announcements, it's clear that successful public service reform must start with the needs of citizens.
Technology can enable new capabilities, but its real value lies in improving everyday interactions between citizens and government institutions. During the Summit, Xia emphasised that the ultimate objective of digital government is to make public services simpler, faster and more accessible. Huawei's approach focuses on creating what it describes as "anytime, one-stop, proactive public service" systems – platforms that allow citizens to complete services efficiently while enabling governments to operate more intelligently.
For governments facing growing demands and limited resources, this approach can play a crucial role in maintaining trust and improving public service outcomes. At the same time, the challenge will be ensuring that innovation remains aligned with public needs.
It is beyond doubt that AI and digital platforms are playing increasingly important roles in shaping the future of government, but the guiding principle behind their adoption must remain clear. As Xia concluded during the Summit, with a reminder drawn from democratic tradition, the purpose of government services ultimately remains unchanged – to serve the people.
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