Gartner unveils the top government trends in APAC

In the lead-up to the Gartner IT Symposium/Xpo in September, the company has identified the top government technology trends in APAC for 2025. The company says these trends support public sector leaders in delivering smarter, more efficient citizen services, while shaping their short- and long-term AI agendas.

“As AI becomes more embedded in everyday life, citizens are expecting government services to evolve alongside innovation and deliver experiences that are accessible, personalised and resilient,” said Dean Lacheca, VP Analyst at Gartner. “In a region defined by these rising expectations and geopolitical instability, APAC governments must take a proactive approach to technology-led innovation based around secure, scalable technologies that deliver tangible outcomes for citizens, including AI.”

Government CIOs should consider how the following trends will impact their organisations, guiding decisions around investment, service delivery and responsible innovation.

Trend 1: AI agents for tailored citizen services and support

AI agents are autonomous or semiautonomous software entities that use AI to perceive, decide, act and achieve goals in their digital or physical environments to enhance government service delivery. Initial deployments will focus on processing applications and entitlements against legislations or policies, such as building applications. Many APAC governments are also exploring the use of AI agents for interpreting legislation and regulatory frameworks.

“The use and orchestration of multiple AI agents will expand as the technology matures and governments grow more confident in building, buying and governing them,” Lacheca said. “Transparency and public trust will ultimately shape adoption, so it’s important to establish clear governance, ethical guardrails and accountability for autonomy, potential failure, security and data privacy.”

Trend 2: Digital innovation labs and data sandbox

Innovation within government is often constrained by data restrictions and procurement laws that dictate how technology partners are engaged. Many APAC governments are creating innovation labs that include a controlled data environment or ‘sandbox’ to support human-centred innovation initiatives, while also protecting government data. Synthetically generated data is often used to supplement open data while protecting private or personal information.

Examples include the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore’s innovation lab for testing various technologies and Taiwan’s digital identity wallet sandbox program. In Australia, federal and state governments are also active in establishing and supporting innovation spaces, often in partnership with educational institutions.

Gartner recommends government CIOs build a strong rationale for investments in innovation by validating the essential outcomes that will be delivered from a lab. This will determine if it should be a government-wide investment or specifically focused on the department or agency mission.

Trend 3: Governance-driven AI adoption

As AI is increasingly deployed to improve citizen experiences, enhance operational efficiency and support mission outcomes, governments are under pressure to establish AI governance frameworks to balance risk, cost, control and value. Gartner predicts that by 2028, at least 80% of governments will have their adoption and ongoing monitoring of AI independently audited.

“Governments must have oversight over AI technologies to identify and mitigate risks, and ensure alignment with regulatory requirements and governance standards,” Lacheca said. “As many APAC governments pursue sovereign AI agendas, these guardrails will ensure future AI adoption remains transparent, accountable and adaptable to change.”

Gartner clients can read more in the report ‘Top Government Trends in APAC for 2025’.

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