News

Apolitical and India's Capacity Building Commission (CBC) have launched a new initiative, under the CBC’s Global Digital Capacity Building Alliance (GDCBA), on AI governance in the public sector.

The collaboration will define what good AI governance looks like for public officials and the institutions they work within, grounded in the realities of public sector implementation worldwide.

Read more about the partnership.

Today, Apolitical launched Government AI Navigator: a free tool that enables public servants to find out exactly what AI projects have worked elsewhere, what failed and who to get in touch with to replicate success.

Built with support from Google.org, the tool launches with 300 projects spanning over 50 countries and is available immediately to all public servants and policymakers.

Read more about Government AI Navigator.

Less than a year ago, the Government AI Campus was launched in 12 languages to prepare public servants and policymakers for the age of AI, powered by Apolitical with support from Google.org and the Rockefeller Foundation. Today, the AI Campus has reached an inspiring milestone:

✅ 500,000 public servants trained in AI 🌍 163 countries 📚 12 languages 📈 75% of public servants on the AI Campus report being more confident in using AI tools and techniques 🆓 Entirely free for public servants

Read more about training public servants at scale.

77% of public servants say government is experiencing ‘significant’ change in 2026.

What’s Top of Mind for Public Servants 2026 is a report highlighting five challenges that reveal a curious, pragmatic workforce determined to deliver better outcomes for citizens, despite mounting pressure. The five top themes emerging from the report are career development; artificial intelligence; efficiency; systems thinking; and climate.

Apolitical’s network spans half a million public servants and policymakers in 170 countries. The new insights report draws on 250 qualitative interviews, 150 polls, nearly 400 surveys, 95,000 event sign-ups and 62,000 course enrolments, offering a unique snapshot of the world’s largest workforce.

Read more about what's top of mind for public servants in 2026.

We’re excited to announce that Apolitical is a strategic partner on the $30M Google.org Impact Challenge: AI For Government Innovation. The fund is now open for applications to support organisations from around the world that are transforming public services using AI.

If you are a nonprofit or social impact organisation partnering with governments, and using generative and agentic AI to transform public services for social good, apply now! 🚀

Learn more and apply to the Google Impact Challenge

Across the United States, public servants are finding new, innovative ways to solve complex problems and better serve their communities. ‘50 States, 50 Breakthroughs’, published today, brings those stories into the spotlight — celebrating the most pioneering public sector projects, and the people behind them, that are driving toward better government in the United States.

The showcase, a collaboration between Apolitical, the National Academy of Public Administration (NAPA) and Humans of Public Service, features a project from every US state, plus Washington DC, Guam and Puerto Rico.

Together, the case studies demonstrate how innovation is happening at every level of government – from local to federal – and everything from digital transformation and citizen engagement to quantum, energy and AI.

Learn more about 50 States, 50 Breakthroughs

Apolitical announced that it will deliver two brand new AI-powered tools to support public servants and policymakers to accelerate practical and immediately useful AI adoption in government: the Government AI Navigator and PolicyNova. As with all Apolitical’s solutions, both tools will be co-designed with and for governments.

The Government AI Navigator will be an interactive, dynamic and social database of case studies of AI applications and policies from governments around the world. It will offer public servants a social experience, encouraging engagement on the case studies, enabling public servants to engage directly with peers behind each AI application.

PolicyNova PolicyNova is an AI-powered policy research tool designed to support policymakers during the policy development process, particularly when exploring how similar challenges have been addressed in other contexts, and to visualise the impact of new interventions.

Learn more about the new tools.

An exciting showcase of 50 cutting-edge initiatives pushing the boundaries of what governments can achieve, the Edge 50, was launched by Apolitical and Mohammed Bin Rashid Centre for Government Innovation (MBRCGI).

The 50 people and projects have been carefully curated from across the world for their originality, interdisciplinary thinking and potential to transform public impact by challenging conventional government logic. From using radioactive rhinos to enable conservation, to rewilding pre-schools to build stronger immune systems, or to treating cities as patients to aid urban planning, it is celebrated in the list.

Edge 50 sits at the heart of the new Edge of Government hub – a digital platform spotlighting the people and projects that reimagine how and what government can deliver for citizens.

Learn more about the Edge 50

As part of the Government AI Campus, Apolitical has released its latest AI Insights Briefing, providing learnings for leaders on the current state of AI preparedness in government. The briefing draws on data from the AI Readiness Check; the largest, most comprehensive global dataset on government AI capabilities.

Nearly 5,000 public servants around the world completed the AI Readiness Check in 2025, providing a unique insight into where governments need to strengthen capabilities. The data, gathered and examined in this new Insights Briefing, reveals a growing gap between individual adoption and institutional readiness.

Learn more about the AI Readiness Check insights.

The new Government AI 100, celebrating public servants leading and innovating in AI and updated for 2026, was published by Apolitical today.

Government plays a pivotal role in shaping the future of AI: determining how generative tools can deliver faster, smarter public services, and how they will influence institutions, economies and societies. The Government AI 100 showcases those leaders and innovators driving AI adoption, capacity building and regulation within government

Apolitical published the Government AI 100 for the first time last year. We have refreshed it for 2026 to reflect the rapid pace of technological change, shifting global priorities and individuals’ changing roles, as well as the emergence of new champions within the industry.

Learn more about the Government AI 100.

Apolitical is pleased to announce that it is part of a new consortium that will develop new UK-wide infrastructure and networks which will enable more universities and research organisations to offer ‘Policy to Research’ opportunities for civil and public servants.

Led by the Centre for Science and Policy at the University of Cambridge, the consortium is funded by a new £3.75m grant from the Economic and Social Research Council.

Learn more.

On 8 October 2025, Apolitical welcomed 150+ heads of state, public servants and industry leaders to celebrate its second annual Apolitical Day, hosted in Church House in the heart of Westminster.

Attendees from around the world contributed to a global conversation about the Future of Government and the biggest issues facing policymakers, including insightful interviews with General Sir Nick Carter and Mariana Mazzucato.

Read more.

Today, Apolitical released The Government AI Campus in Action: Lessons and Stories from the Global Movement to Build AI-Ready Governments, a new report showcasing the first phase of the AI Campus’s journey to equip one million public servants with the skills to build AI-ready governments.

Learn more.

Apolitical is proud to announce a new partnership with the Government of India’s Capacity Building Commission, bringing the flagship course Understand How AI Impacts You and Your Government to 31 million Indian public servants through the iGOT platform of Indian government.

Learn more.

Apolitical has published "What’s top of mind for public servants in 2025". The report brings together insights from more than 130 interviews, nearly 100 polls and two global surveys — offering a snapshot of the biggest challenges shaping government work.

Read more about What’s top of mind for public servants in 2025.

To mark World Quantum Day and the International Year of Quantum, Apolitical has announced its course, Quantum Computing: Understanding the Technology and its Implications. Developed in collaboration with Google Quantum AI, this course prepares global policymakers with the foundational knowledge they need to prepare for this emerging technology.

Learn more.

London – Apolitical and Ethiopia's Federal Civil Service Commission (FCSC) have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to support capability-building for Ethiopia’s civil service.

The MoU was signed on 7 February, concluding a successful visit to Addis Ababa. Pooja Warier Hamilton, (Chief Partnerships Officer at Apolitical), Chris Ferguson (Vice President: Government and Public Sector) and Joel Patrick (Chief Product Officer) were hosted by the Commission.

Read more about the collaboration.

Apolitical has launched a fast and interactive tool for public servants to quickly map a skills and development pathway to AI success in government.

Read more about the AI Readiness Check.

We’re delighted to announce Chris Ferguson is joining Apolitical as our new Vice President, Government and Public Sector, working with Apolitical’s partners globally to further drive innovation in the public sector and help government officials to solve the hardest challenges.

Learn more about Chris Ferguson joining Apolitical.

The Government AI 100, celebrating the visionaries who are working in government, was published by Apolitical today.

Government is an essential actor when it comes to AI, determining both how generative AI can deliver faster, smarter public services and how this new technology will shape countries and industries. The Government AI 100 list celebrates the public servants from around the world leading on AI adoption, capacity building and regulation within government.

The Government AI 100 is published via the Government AI Campus, a trusted knowledge and learning hub for governments – and the world’s 200 million civil servants – on governing and applying the technology. Through the AI Campus, public servants can access peer-to-peer communities, free online courses, and masterclasses with global experts.

Apolitical, the global online learning platform and community for public servants, will launch a Government Campus for Emerging Technologies. The Campus will fill a vast and urgent knowledge, skills and network gap that exists globally for public servants.

Apolitical is already developing a “Quantum Computing for Policymakers” course, which will launch in 2025, partnering with Google Quantum AI for their expert insights and knowledge in this area. The course will feature experts from the Google Quantum AI team, academia, industry bodies, other specialist research companies and government experts in countries investing in quantum computing, including the US, the UK, the EU, Japan, South Korea and Australia. To celebrate the launch, Apolitical is offering selected free places on the first and exclusive cohort for this course. Seats are limited to just 500 policymakers, including two live virtual masterclasses with quantum experts, and access to a moderated community of practice.

Learn more about the Emerging Technologies Campus.

A vast majority (79%) of Europeans support AI in public service tasks like traffic optimisation but oppose its use in sensitive areas such as parole decisions, according to new research

• Report shows wide generational “AI divide” as one in three (34%) young Europeans would trust an AI app to vote on their behalf
• 67% of Europeans fear AI manipulation in elections
• Two in three (67%) Europeans fear hackers could alter election results

Today, IE University’s Center for the Governance of Change (CGC) launched its annual European Tech Insights report, which reveals European citizens' attitudes toward technology and AI-related issues. This year’s report was developed in partnership with Apolitical and includes the perspectives of a small sample of public servants.

Read more about the report's findings.

Apolitical and the Apolitical Foundation will be hosting the inaugural Apolitical Day on 20 November 2024 in London.

This invitation-only event will bring together global thought leaders to explore the most pressing challenges facing government today — from AI to climate change to political leadership in a rapidly evolving world.

Taking place at the historic Church House in Westminster, this exclusive event promises a day of groundbreaking conversations. You can follow regular updates on the lineup of speakers and topics for Apolitical Day on LinkedIn.

Apolitical has received a $2 million grant from the Bezos Earth Fund to provide public servants with the skills they need to take urgent action on climate change.

Apolitical’s Government Climate Campus has already trained over 40,000 public servants in the US, Brazil, South Africa, and the United Arab Emirates, six times the original goal for the pilot phase. The next phase of the Climate Campus, funded by the Bezos Earth Fund grant, will use technology to expand the training programme at the requisite speed and scale to respond to the climate crisis. The ambition is to train 12 million public servants by the end of 2026.

Read more about the Bezos Earth Fund grant.

Apolitical has published 'The state of learning in government'. The report presents findings from a global survey with 2,064 respondents from over 60 countries (the majority in the UK and Canada), making it the most comprehensive dedicated global survey of learning and development in government.

Read more about 'The state of learning in government'.

We are delighted to announce that Cori Zarek is joining the Apolitical leadership team, as we grow our community, partnerships and impact across North America. With more than two decades of experience working within and alongside government institutions, Cori brings a remarkable depth of knowledge and a proven track record of using technology to help governments address their most pressing policy challenges.

Cori’s career of public service includes serving as Deputy Administrator of the U.S. Digital Service at the White House and Deputy U.S. Chief Technology Officer. She’s also made an important contribution outside of government as Executive Director at Georgetown University’s Beeck Center, and founding several impact organisations focused on technology and policy delivery, as well as chairing Code for America’s annual summit.

Read more about Cori Zarek joining the Apolitical leadership team.

Apolitical, the global online learning platform and community for public servants, has launched its latest course, “AI Fundamentals for Public Servants: Opportunities, Risks and Strategies.” Powered by content from Stanford Online as part of the Government AI Campus program, the course includes digital content from Stanford Online, in-depth learning, academic knowledge, and valuable insights from Stanford University faculty and thought leaders to help public servants and policymakers understand the opportunities and impact of AI in government.

Read more about Apolitical's new course powered by content from Stanford Online.

‘Building the AI-Ready Government: An Essential Action Plan for Leaders’, a new report from Apolitical was published today.

The report sets out an action plan for government leaders at all stages of a government’s journey – from getting the foundations in place, to acceleration, to deploying AI across government at scale. Drawing on data, insights, interviews and examples from around the world, it sets out three areas for leadership:

• defining a clear strategy
• investing in people and skills and
• building strong institutional governance for AI.

Read more about the research and the full report.

Apolitical, the global online learning platform and community for public servants, has received a $5 million grant from Google.org to scale up its Government AI Campus program.

With the age of AI promising transformative impacts across society and the economy, governments must become AI-capable to keep pace with the opportunities and threats posed by the technology and its application. The Government AI Campus is a trusted knowledge and learning hub for governments – and the world’s 200 million civil servants – on governing and applying the technology.

The Government AI Campus delivered training to 13,000 public servants during its pilot phase, powered by content from world-renowned institutions such as Stanford Online and with initial funding from Google.org and Rockefeller Foundation. Through the AI Campus, public servants can access peer-to-peer communities, free online courses, and masterclasses with global experts.

Read more about Apolitical's $5 million grant from Google.org

Fast Company today announced that Apolitical’s Government Climate Campus has been included in their 2024 list of World Changing Ideas. The awards highlight fresh sustainability initiatives, cutting-edge AI developments, ambitious pursuits of social equity and other creative projects that are helping mould the world.

“Fast Company named Apolitical one of the World’s Most Innovative Companies back in 2018, so it’s extra special for the Government Climate Campus to be recognised with a second accolade in 2024,” said Apolitical CEO Robyn Scott. “Big challenges facing governments in the 21st century demand big ideas to address them, and we believe the Climate Campus is the key to building climate capable governments around the world.”

Read more about Fast Company’s 2024 World Changing Ideas.

Apolitical is delighted to announce its partnership with the World Bank to co-host the forthcoming Public Administration Global Forum. Scheduled to take place in Washington DC from 28-29 May 2024, this prestigious event aims to explore the role of transformative governance in building sustainable and livable environments across the globe. The forum's focus this year, ‘Transforming Governments for a Livable Planet’, aligns powerfully with Apolitical’s mission to build 21st century governments that work for people and the planet.

Read more about Apolitical's partnership with the World Bank.

Apolitical is honoured to announce that its innovative Government Climate Campus has been nominated for the 2024 Earthshot Prize. This nomination recognises the Climate Campus's contribution to addressing the global challenge of climate change by building government capability to take action.

The Government Climate Campus equips public servants around the world with the knowledge and tools necessary to implement effective climate action strategies within their governments. Since its launch last year, the Climate Campus has trained more than 35,000 public servants in Brazil, South Africa, the US and the UAE through online courses, masterclasses and collaborations to bridge the gap between ambitious targets for climate and nature and actual implementation.

Read more about Apolitical's Earthshot prize nomination.

Apolitical, the global online learning platform and community for public servants, announces that 10 governments have pledged to provide training for officials to develop the skills they need to take urgent action on climate change.

The ministers, mayors and public sector leaders making ambitious pledges to build “climate capable governments” include representatives of Brazil’s Ministry of Environment and Climate Change, the government of the United Arab Emirates, the African Capability Building Foundation, Environment and Climate Change Canada and the UK’s Foreign Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO). The governments making pledges were convened by Apolitical following a high-level roundtable discussion at COP28 co-hosted by Robyn Scott, Apolitical’s Co-Founder and CEO.

Read more about Apolitical at COP28.

A new course, Building AI Confidence in Government, has been announced as part of Apolitical's Digital Excellence programme.

It will explore AI solutions for government problems, explain the latest guidance for use of AI in UK government and provide resources to public servants.

The course, developed in partnership with the UK's Central Digital and Data Office, will be available to UK-based learners. It joins three other courses on the the Digital Excellence Programme, designed to equip public servants with the tools and skills need for 21st-century governance.

<a href="https://apolitical.co/learning-hub/digital-excellence-programme-public/""target="_self">Read more about Apolitical's Digital Excellence Programme.

The £5 million Series A was co-led by early stage venture firms Systemiq Capital and Perivoli Innovations. One of Apolitical’s focus areas is upskilling the public sector on climate. Both lead investors believe that helping upskill governments on climate action is fundamental to cracking the climate challenge.

Apolitical will also use the Series A funds to expand in new markets such as North America and Brazil and build its portfolio of courses on 21st-century government, developed in partnership with academic and research institutions.

<a href="https://apolitical.co/solution-articles/en/apolitical-raises-series-a-to-grow-in-north-america-and-expand-climate-training""target="_self">Read more about Apolitical's Series A.