Using Generative AI to Strengthen Access to Public Services Through Clearer Client Communications

Ensuring communications sent to state and local government agency clients are clear and understandable is crucial to ensure that individuals and families receive the services they need. Social services in particular rely on time-sensitive communications including correspondence, notices and program alerts that are critical to a recipient understanding what action needs to be taken and responding appropriately.

Unfortunately, these communications are often anything but clear. Usually drafted by highly educated subject matter experts and edited by government legal teams, they are often written well above the average constituent’s reading level of sixth grade or below, making them difficult for many to understand. The consequences of this are significant: A recent study found that up to 16% of individuals eligible for government programs missed out on benefits simply because they couldn’t understand the communications they received.

Simplifying Language for Better Client Outcomes

A new approach to government communications starts by adopting plain language writing guidelines that make communications clear and accessible to a wide audience. The concept of plain language first emerged in the 1970s and various guidelines have been developed over the years since then to support its implementation, including the Plain Writing Act, which applies to federal agencies.

More recently, in June 2023, the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) released guidelines for how plain language should be adopted for text-based communications and documents. According to ISO, communications should use familiar words and phrases; avoid acronyms, legalese and jargon; and use short, clear sentences and concise paragraphs.

But the work of content clarification is time-consuming, difficult and costly, especially for government agencies with outdated systems. Employees must comb through hundreds, or potentially thousands, of communication templates to identify and rewrite content that’s unclear, often repeatedly having to update the same content that exists in many variations of a communication. Multiple authors and teams are often involved, each with their own preferences and varying levels of experience, which makes consistent application of plain language standards extremely difficult.

Leveraging Generative AI to Write in Plain Language

Generative AI represents a breakthrough opportunity for agencies to finally scale plain language adoption across their communications. The technology’s ability to rapidly rewrite complex content at scale promises to eliminate the resource constraints that have historically prevented widespread plain language implementation. But realizing its potential requires a clear understanding of how to avoid potential risk associated with these tools.

Many government teams may already be experimenting with ChatGPT, drawn by its accessibility and impressive capabilities. These consumer-oriented solutions were not built for the needs of public-sector organizations. ChatGPT operates outside secure government platforms, forcing teams to copy content out of current communications, paste sensitive content into external systems and then paste results back into communications management systems. This not only introduces serious data privacy and compliance risks, but is a wholly inefficient process.

Beyond security, the iterative back-and-forth required to refine ChatGPT’s output frequently consumes more time than traditional editing. What should be a simple rewrite can quickly become a 20-30 minute exercise in prompt engineering. And because there’s no structure or consistency built in, results can vary widely across teams and use cases.

The Right Path to AI-Powered Plain Language

Fortunately, governments looking to automate the application of plain language principles don’t need to navigate the complexities of leveraging standalone AI tools. Forward-looking software vendors are embedding AI-powered content optimization capabilities directly into their platforms. These solutions allow governments to harness the same advanced language models that power tools like ChatGPT—but in a more efficient, secure, and purpose-built way.

That said, not all solutions are created equal. As government agencies evaluate vendors, it’s important to ask the right questions:

Who carries the burden of creating prompts?

Some vendors have done little more than embed the free-form conversational interface of ChatGPT, meaning the user will still need guide the AI. Governments should look for vendors that provide pre-built AI prompts and capabilities specifically designed for plain language optimization. These purpose-built prompts remove the guesswork, enabling users to generate high-quality rewrites aligned with plain language standards in a single click.

Are there guardrails to keep my data safe?

Look for platforms that provide granular permissions, allowing administrators to decide exactly who can edit communications and use AI functions within the system. Just as important, ensure the provider has established safeguards that create a hard boundary between your client data and public AI models. Sensitive client data should never leave the system and your content should be protected throughout the entire optimization process.

Will it help me maintain plain language standards over time?

It’s important to consider that rewriting your existing is only part of the challenge. Some platforms offer additional AI capabilities that can flag duplicate content so that you can drive consistencies across materials without duplicative effort. This enables a more proactive, sustainable approach, where teams are supported in maintaining plain language standards as they create and update content moving forward.

Will the workflow be efficient?

It’s important to understand how AI capabilities integrate into your team’s content management workflow. Ideally, they should be available within the same environment where communications are created and managed and enable the content to be updated in place —so your team doesn’t waste time copying and pasting content between systems. Also, ask whether the vendor has engineered their AI capabilities to preserve variable data entities  and formatting throughout the optimization process. If not, your team may still need to spend time reapplying structure and re-inserting dynamic content—undermining the value of automation.

Investing in Clarity to Improve Service and Strengthen Trust

Clear communication is more than a best practice; it’s public service. By committing to plain language and thoughtful translation, government agencies can build trust, empower communities and make it easier for people to engage and take any action needed. The opportunity to lead with clarity is here with technology that makes meaningful change possible.

Originally published in Government Technology