128 more, says Ion. “Partners like Quantexa help organisations build a 360-degree view of taxpayers to improve risk profiling, compliance and hyperpersonalisation. Meanwhile, partners such as Accela are making it faster and simpler for taxpayers to access licensing and permitting processes, while those like Icertis are simplifying contract and procurement management. Other examples include Capgemini, which can assist with integrating multiple data sources and manage complex technology implementations, and EY, which can advise on how to update policies to cover new technologies.” In addition, Microsoft and its partners provide advanced cybersecurity and governance capabilities designed to support organisations in protecting systems and managing AI data access securely. “Public finance organisations face significant cybersecurity risks, making strong data governance and security critical components of any AI implementation,” says Ion. “Some solutions from Microsoft and our partners are designed to minimise vulnerabilities across an organisation’s IT environment, while others empower them to rapidly detect threats or attacks, isolate the targeted asset and resolve the issue to prevent widespread damage.” Ion advises organisations to follow Microsoft’s lead by adopting the Zero Trust framework, which enables them to lock systems down by default and prevent employees from unintentionally – or intentionally – introducing vulnerabilities cybercriminals can exploit. “They should also establish clear guidelines to govern how employees interact with data and AI tools according to their specific roles,” she adds. “The principles and best practices outlined in Microsoft’s Responsible AI Standard, AI governance framework and Secure Future Initiative can help with this. “Furthermore, organisations should reskill employees so they understand how AI tools work and how to write effective prompts to get the best output. Similarly, it’s beneficial to educate citizens on how to use self-service portals and AI tools. There are multiple examples of governments that have leveraged Microsoft’s training and educational courses for this purpose.” With the public finance sector now recognising the benefits of AI – and how to successfully and securely implement it – Ion predicts adoption rates and use cases will increase in 2026. “We’ll see more organisations rolling out AI for the first time, while those that have already implemented the technology will begin scaling it across different departments and fully integrating it within their systems and teams,” she says. “We anticipate a future where humans collaborate with multiple AI agents across agencies to improve efficiency and citizen experiences. “Together with our partners, Microsoft will continue to empower public finance agencies with the technologies, solutions, knowledge and skills they need to optimise AI and transform into citizen-centric organisations that can easily and securely collaborate and exchange digital data with stakeholders across the wider financial ecosystem in real time. This will help the sector overcome the challenges it is facing, introduce innovative new services and ultimately lead to thriving economies and societies.” Citizens in Estonia can access any government service within seconds by using the AI-powered Bürokratt chatbot FEATURE “ Strong data governance and security are critical components of any AI implementation”
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