News item | 22-04-2025 | 13:00
The government has agreed new rules with municipalities, provinces, water boards and implementing organizations on the use of generative AI. Civil servants are given more room to use generative AI in their work, for example to speed up permit applications, to answer questions from citizens and entrepreneurs faster or to make decisions more efficiently. They must adhere to conditions.
The position emphasizes the need for cooperation with all directors and employees of government organizations, clear risk analyzes and the use of reliable generative AI models. In addition, it is encouraged to make use of applications and open-source solutions developed in Europe.
“Generative AI offers plenty of opportunities to tackle social issues and to improve government service. Consider the simplification of administrative processes, strengthening data analysis and improving communication, according to ZSOLT SZABO, State Secretary for Digitization and Kingdom Relations. In addition, we encourage cooperation within the government to and with companies and scientists to share knowledge and best practices. “
Experiment with AI
Within the frameworks for responsible and safe use, government agencies are experimenting and numerous initiatives have been taken in the field of generative AI:
- The PZH assistant is used at the province of South Holland. This assistant has been developed as a safe alternative to chatgpt and similar chatbots and is only available for officials from the province of South Holland. The assistant has no direct impact on companies and citizens, because it is mainly used internally.
- Another practical example is the Chatbot Guus at the municipality of Goes. Chatbot Guus answers questions that citizens ask. The chatbot only uses pre -recorded sources, such as URLs from Goes.nl. This initiative contributes to the fact that the services are more accessible and better matches the world of people in the Netherlands.
Working together as a government
The position was taken through active cooperation between all regulatoryas, under coordination of the Ministry of the Interior and Kingdom Relations (BZK). This collaboration fits within the broader Dutch digitization strategy (NDS) for the entire government, which will be sent to the Lower House in the spring. In addition, a guide has been developed to practically support government professionals of all governments in the implementation of generative AI in daily (work) practice. These are the first rules for AI that apply to the entire government.