Key insights from our inaugural survey on the ROI of AI in the public sector

This is a new era of innovation, and the public sector is helping lead it. After proving the value of generative AI and agents in 2025, the public sector is poised to further scale the adoption of this transformative technology to accelerate mission impact in the year ahead.

Our inaugural ROI of AI in the public sector report, commissioned by Google Cloud and conducted by National Research Group, surveyed 251 senior leaders from public sector agencies and found that AI initiatives – including AI agents – are already delivering value. According to our findings, 55% of public sector leaders report their organizations are already leveraging AI agents and 42% report that their organization has deployed more than 10 AI agents.

Read on for a summary of key findings from our ROI of AI in the public sector report, and learn how you can get started with Gemini for Government today.

The agentic AI tipping point in the public sector is here

Agentic AI has arrived, fundamentally reshaping and transforming how public sector organizations operate, innovate and advance their missions. AI agents are already driving the next wave of AI innovation, and agency budgets are following suit. Findings show that over 61% of public sector leaders stated their organizations plan to allocate 50% or more of their future AI budget to AI agents, underscoring that agentic AI is now viewed as a mission-critical investment.

Gemini for Government is how you can get started, right now, with the best of Google’s AI-optimized, secure and accredited commercial cloud services, industry-leading Gemini models, and agentic solutions. Gemini for Government includes FedRAMP High-authorized security and compliance features, giving you the peace of mind to confidently deploy AI agents across your organization. Register to attend our upcoming Gemini for Government webinar on February 5 to dive deeper into this transformative technology.

Agentic AI is already delivering ROI in key areas like security and productivity

When it comes to productivity, generative AI is helping public sector teams get more done. According to our report, 70% of public sector leaders report improved productivity from gen AI and 46% say employee productivity has at least doubled (of those reporting improved productivity). A more productive workforce means faster response times, reduced service backlogs, and more personalized, efficient delivery of public services—which all adds up to better experiences and outcomes.

Generative AI is also helping the public sector significantly improve its cybersecurity posture in today’s complex threat environment—ensuring mission continuity and protecting public trust. According to the 16th edition of our Mandiant M-Trends report findings, we’re seeing an explosive growth of malicious exploits, threat groups, and ransomware—all fueled by AI. Attackers are finding novel ways to breach defenses and use AI to scale their attacks. Therefore, a fragmented, siloed security defense approach is no longer viable. According to our findings, as a result of gen AI, 79% of respondents report improved ability to identify threats, 70% report improved intelligence and response integration, and 58% report a reduction in resolution time. By leveraging the power of AI, public sector organizations can enhance threat detection, automate security operations, and secure AI development—ultimately staying one step ahead of evolving threats.

Going forward, executive sponsorship is critical

The fastest path to day one value with generative AI requires support from technical and mission teams, as well as senior leadership. However, the data reveals that only 32% of public sector leaders report comprehensive executive sponsorship and support when it comes to gen AI adoption. Going forward, executive sponsorship will be necessary in breaking down organizational silos, allocating the required resources, and championing the necessary change management to ensure the long-term impact and ROI of gen AI. We believe executive support and sponsorship is an imperative, as agencies increasingly demonstrate tangible ROI in vital areas like productivity and security.

Charting a new era of innovation together

We are proud to partner with the public sector as we chart this new era of innovation together. This survey offers a promising outlook for the future of the public sector, and the AI opportunity is both exciting and profound. We believe that harnessing the power of agents, identifying foundational use cases, and securing executive sponsorship will help pave the way for unprecedented innovation and transformation across the public sector.

Download the full report, “The ROI of AI in the public sector,” to explore key findings from our report.

^{1 PS leaders: n=251; Question: (1) How are AI agents leveraged across the enterprise? (2) How many AI agents does your company currently have deployed in production across your organization?}

^{2 PS leaders: n=251; Question: How many AI agents does your company currently have deployed in production across your organization}

^{3 PS leaders: n=251; Question: In which of the following areas have your gen AI solutions created meaningful impact?}

^{4 PS leaders reporting improved productivity from gen AI solutions: n=176; Question: When gen AI helped your employees increase productivity, what was the approximate average % increase in their productivity over a sustained period of time (e.g., several months)?}