Gartner flags three key tech trends for governments

Gartner has identified three top technology trends in government, focused on artificial intelligence, cybersecurity and technology service delivery.

Public sector leaders are under pressure to modernise operations, strengthen cyber resilience and meet rising citizen expectations as economic and geopolitical strains weigh on government organisations.

Government Chief Information Officers are working through an unusually turbulent period in which artificial intelligence is changing service delivery, cyber threats are moving faster than older security models, and agencies are being asked to do more with limited budgets, according to Dean Lacheca, Vice President Analyst at Gartner.

“Government CIOs are operating in one of the most disruptive periods in recent memory. AI is reshaping how governments deliver services; cyber threats are evolving faster than traditional defenses can respond; and agencies are under increasing pressure to achieve more with finite resources. The challenge is no longer identifying technology opportunities, but building organisations that can adapt quickly enough to capitalise on them,” Lacheca said.

The first trend is managing what Gartner describes as the ripple effect of agentic AI. Governments are moving from experimentation with artificial intelligence to wider adoption across agencies, with AI agents expected to play a larger role in operations, software development, service delivery and routine decisions.

That shift is forcing public sector bodies to look beyond technical deployment and consider broader organisational change. Areas under review include governance frameworks, digital identity systems and operating models that can support greater use of AI agents.

Government organisations also need outcome-based roadmaps for AI and clearer ways to measure the value of their investments in the technology.

Lacheca said agency leaders need to reconsider how they prepare staff and processes for AI-led change.

“The conversation around AI must shift from technology implementation to organisational transformation. Success with agentic AI will depend on modern governance, workforce readiness and the ability to redesign business processes, while creating an adaptable foundation for future innovation,” he said.

Cyber culture

The second trend centres on cybersecurity. Advances in AI, heightened geopolitical tensions and the emergence of quantum computing are changing the threat landscape for governments and exposing the limits of compliance-led security approaches.

Instead of relying on periodic reviews, public bodies need continuously updated cyber strategies that can respond to rapidly changing risks. Recommended steps include automating security operations where possible, improving visibility across digital supply chains, preparing for post-quantum cryptography and tightening governance around data sovereignty and third-party risk.

Lacheca said cyber risk is accelerating as AI shortens the gap between the discovery of vulnerabilities and their exploitation.

“Cybersecurity can no longer be treated as a static function. AI is reducing the time between the discovery of vulnerabilities and their exploitation, while quantum computing is forcing governments to rethink how they protect sensitive information. Resilience, automation and crypto agility must become core components of every cybersecurity strategy,” he said.

Service delivery

The third trend is a rethink of how government technology services are delivered. More digitally literate workforces, changing demand for technical skills and the wider use of emerging technologies are pushing public sector organisations to revise operating models and governance structures.

Gartner expects future government organisations to depend on workforces that understand digital systems and artificial intelligence. That would require technology teams to work within more adaptive structures while preserving accountability across departments and agencies.

A January 2026 Gartner survey of 1,219 Chief Information Officers and IT leaders found that 78% of government respondents expected to invest in their people to support their main technology initiatives. This points to a growing emphasis on AI literacy, workforce modernisation and organisational flexibility as agencies try to meet service demands and improve efficiency.

Lacheca said the long-term relevance of government IT departments will depend less on the tools they buy and more on how they redesign work and develop staff.

“Technology will only ever be a tool or a trigger; transformation is ultimately about people. Government IT areas that maintain their relevance will be the ones that invest in workforce capabilities, redesign how work gets done and build a technology operating model that can evolve as quickly as technology itself,” he said.