AI skills for public servants, tackling fraud in government, and building transformation capability: GGF's top webinars of 2025
Global Government Forum's webinars in 2025 cut through noise and focused on what works. From practical steps for deploying AI to new approaches for fighting fraud and building transformation muscle, the themes will matter even more in 2026.
Below is a concise roundup with the key takeaways you can apply inside your department, agency, or city government.
Boosting the skills of public servants to use AI
One webinar laid out a clear, step-by-step way to deploy AI in government. Speakers from Canada and the UK shared how to sequence pilots, bring staff with you, and "really realise the value of artificial intelligence" while creating a "protective shield against fear." The message: start small, measure impact, grow what works.
City leaders from Canada, Denmark, and the UK showed how municipal teams are using AI to solve pressing problems, cut admin time, and improve services. Local authorities often move faster than central government, so their use cases offer early signals of what to scale and what to avoid. Safe experimentation frameworks and clear policy guardrails were front and center.
GGF also ran short training taster sessions on prompt engineering and agentic AI for public service teams. If you want structured learning right now, you can browse practical course options here: Prompt engineering resources and Latest AI courses.
Tackling fraud across government
Fraud risk is rising, and AI is changing both the threat and the response. A June session with knowledge partner SAS shared survey findings showing agencies expect increases across multiple fraud types over the next five years. Panelists discussed how to prepare for AI-enabled fraud and how to deploy analytics to strengthen protections.
Speakers included leaders from Latvia's Ministry of Finance, SAS, and a senior official from the UK's National Cyber Security Centre. For additional guidance on cyber risks and defenses, see the NCSC.
An October webinar with knowledge partner Unit4 focused on cutting fraud and error across the full span of government operations, including how cross-government bodies such as the Public Sector Fraud Authority can coordinate action. Learn more about the Authority's role on GOV.UK.
Skills for better government
Every day, public servants make decisions that affect services, budgets, and trust. A webinar on confident decision-making, supported by SAS, showed how better data flows and simple-to-use tools can improve choices-from policy design to enforcement prioritization. The session informed a GGF research report published in September 2025 on enabling confident decisions with data and AI.
Another session tackled the skills mix government needs to deliver. Digital capability matters, but so do leadership, management, and the confidence to be risk-smart. Speakers covered practical ways to: assess current skills, map gaps, accelerate recruitment for transformation roles, and keep talent in post long enough to deliver results.
Making transformation happen
One webinar focused on measuring and improving the citizen experience of government. The takeaway: define what "good" looks like, collect user feedback at key moments, fix friction points, and use digital services to close the gap between policy intent and lived experience.
Another session launched GGF's research report Rewiring the State: Unlocking Government Transformation, based on interviews with 12 UK permanent secretaries, led by former Cabinet secretary Lord Gus O'Donnell. With Cognizant and Amazon Web Services as knowledge partners, the panel unpacked what actually accelerates delivery-and which barriers must go.
What to do next
- Start with a small, well-scoped AI pilot. Prove value, document risks, then scale.
- Set clear policy guardrails for safe AI experimentation across teams.
- Stand up fraud analytics that combine data sharing, anomaly detection, and rapid triage.
- Improve decision quality by fixing data pipelines and making insights accessible to frontline staff.
- Run a skills audit, prioritize critical roles, and shorten hiring cycles for transformation talent.
- Adopt consistent citizen experience measures and fix the top three friction points per service.
To keep up with future GGF webinars and training, sign up to their emails and share sessions across your teams so lessons turn into action.
This article is part of a series highlighting GGF's 2025 insights. Other pieces cover: reform and efficiency drives, overcoming data-sharing barriers, cross-sector collaboration, and research that's guiding government transformation.
Your membership also unlocks:
