Government leaders believe Agentic AI to speed up modernization – Dell study
In his analysis brief for International Data Corporation (IDC), Linn Huang, Research Vice President, Devices and Displays at IDC stated: “The artificial intelligence (AI) age is upon us, and its arrival marks a new era for businesses and the workforce. Companies are accelerating their AI investments as they move from experimentation to broad deployment.”
The Research VP noted that the client side of this equation is covered by new AI PCs, defined as PCs with integrated neural processing units (NPUs) that run local AI workloads as efficiently as possible. Software developers are working with the purveyors of these processors to support NPUs more widely. He further said that OS vendors are baking AI into existing applications and creating new experiences.
A new global study commissioned by Dell Technologies, conducted by IDC in Q4 2025, finds that 71% of government decision-makers believe agentic AI — systems capable of autonomously completing complex tasks — will accelerate AI adoption in government.
Flip Phones. Flip phones have become a small escape hatch for people who want calls and texts without carrying every app they’ve ever regretted downloading. The Motorola Razr still has that snap-shut satisfaction, and newer basic phones give people a way to be reachable without being fully swallowed by a screen.
iPods. Used iPods are getting attention again because they do one job and one job only. Loading a Nano, Classic, or Touch with your own music library feels more personal than letting an app decide what you should listen to.
Instant Cameras. Polaroid and Fujifilm Instax cameras keep showing up at parties, weddings, dorm rooms, and weekend trips because the photo provides a tangible memory. The colors can be strange, the flash can be harsh, and someone will probably blink, but it’s still more fun than uploading memories to Google Photos.
Point-and-Shoots. Canon PowerShots, Sony Cyber-shots, Nikon Coolpix cameras, and other small digital cameras from the 2000s are back in purses and jacket pockets. They make photos look less polished than iPhone shots, with red-eye, blur, and flash glare that somehow feel closer to how the night actually felt.
Wired Headphones. Apple EarPods and other wired headphones have gone from boring backup gear to an actual style choice. They don’t need charging, they don’t vanish into couch cushions as easily, and they’re much more budget-friendly.
Cassette Players. Cassette players and tape decks are getting attention from people who like music that takes a little effort. Rewinding, flipping sides, and dealing with a worn-out case can be annoying, sure, but the whole process feels more involved than tapping shuffle for the 400th time.
Boomboxes. The modern boombox comeback is more of a compromise than anything else, since plenty of new models look old while offering Bluetooth connection. That mix gives people the chunky 1980s and 1990s look without asking them to fully return to D batteries, warped tapes, and radio static.
Reference: 20 signs the internet is falling back in love with old tech
The study surfaces several trends shaping how governments are approaching sovereign AI adoption:
Agentic AI as a workforce multiplier: With more than half of leaders (51%) planning to invest in agentic AI within the next 12-18 months, governments are moving from exploration to implementation — looking to autonomous systems to handle complex administrative and analytical tasks.
A widening skills gap: A majority (66%) of public sector organizations report that technology is evolving faster than their workforce can keep up, creating significant operational pressure and urgency around AI-enabled solutions.
Guardrails as the condition for acceleration: Appetite for agentic AI is high, but conditional. Nearly half of leaders (44%) state they will only accelerate AI adoption if strong safeguards — including data security, privacy, and sovereignty protections — are firmly in place.
A call for partnership: Nearly 61% of leaders agree that public-private partnerships will be critical to accessing the expertise and technology required for secure, successful AI implementation.
The findings point to a clear shift in public sector AI strategy. Governments are no longer debating whether agentic AI has value — they are determining what it takes to deploy it responsibly and at scale. Agentic systems offer a clear path to easing workforce pressure and modernizing operations.
The study found that 58% of government leaders identify strong sovereign data governance, quality, and control as among the most critical platform requirements for sovereign AI, reinforcing that trusted data foundations are not a secondary concern — they are a prerequisite for adoption.
For public sector organizations, deploying AI with confidence means having robust data sovereignty, privacy protections, governance frameworks, and infrastructure choices in place from the outset. When those foundations are secure, the path to sovereign agentic AI at scale becomes viable.
Reference: Government Leaders Look to Agentic AI to Accelerate Modernization | Dell USA
