Reflections from David Stiven Peralta (Dg.o 2025 Travel Grant Awardee Researcher from School of Government, Universidad de los Andes, Bogotá, Colombia)

The 26th Annual International Conference on Digital Government Research (dg.o 2025), titled “Digital Government Fostering Social Cohesion for Reducing Inequalities,” was held from June 9 to 12, 2025, at the Pontifical Catholic University of Rio Grande do Sul (PUCRS) in Porto Alegre, Brazil. This well-established forum, organized by the Digital Government Society (DGS), brought together researchers, scholars, and key stakeholders from around the world to present and discuss interdisciplinary research on digital government, technological innovation, applications, and best practices.
The 2025 conference explored how digital government can foster social cohesion and reduce inequalities, with a focus on strengthening social ties, accountable democracy, and fair law enforcement, particularly in the Global South. It emphasized the importance of meaningful connectivity and inclusive digital policies in creating equitable societies. Personally, this was an exceptional opportunity for me to engage with researchers, scholars, and key stakeholders to discuss the implementation of technological innovations in my field of interest: public policy. With 105 papers, 28 posters, 6 workshops, 7 panels, and 4 keynote lectures, and the participation of 210 attendees from 32 countries, I would like to share some key insights from my perspective:
First, the conference thoroughly examined how digital government can strengthen social ties, ensure accountable democracy, and enable fair law enforcement. This was particularly relevant for the Global South, as emphasized during the keynote lectures. A valuable takeaway was the vital role of meaningful connectivity and inclusive digital policies in overcoming existing digital devices and ensuring access to fundamental rights for all citizens.
Second, several important themes emerged, addressing both the progress and challenges in the digital government. One major highlight was Brazil’s leadership in digital transformation, exemplified by the Gov.br platform. This platform, which offers over 4,500 public services to nearly 170 million people, has become the most accessed government website globally. Additionally, the conference focused on the role of digital tools in addressing social inequalities. A powerful example was shared by Tomás Fiori, one of the keynote speakers, who discussed how digital tools helped rapidly deliver financial aid to vulnerable populations during the 2024 floods in Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil. Discussions also highlighted the importance of rebuilding public trust in digital services, particularly through transparency and efficiency, which can enhance citizen’s confidence in government.
Third, the concept of “Government as a Platform” was a central topic. This vision promotes the integration of public services through shared digital platforms. Chile and Brazil were both highlighted as examples of this shift toward a unified system, where data interoperability and national infrastructure play a crucial role. Despite these advances, challenges around digital inclusion were critically discussed, with calls for policies that ensure fair participation beyond basic internet access. Another recurrent theme was the ethical use of artificial intelligence (AI), acknowledging both its potential and its risks. Lastly, the conference showcased innovative approaches to local and community-driven data collection, challenging the notion of “data exclusion” and advocating for greater citizen involvement in data production and utilization. These discussions reinforced the importance of fostering inclusive and equitable digital societies, with an emphasis on global collaboration and collective learning.
Finally, I had the opportunity to present my research paper, co-authored with Professor Juan David Gutiérrez, on the use of AI tools in the Colombian judiciary. During the presentation, I discussed the preliminary results of our descriptive analysis, which were based on three surveys conducted in 2024 with judicial personnel in Colombia. Our study identified the familiarity of judicial personnel with AI systems, the frequency of use, the main AI tools employed, and their purposes. You can read the complete paper at the following link: https://doi.org/10.59490/dgo.2025.1060
Most importantly, after the presentation, I had the opportunity to discuss our findings with other scholars and receive valuable feedback. These discussions helped me to identify the study’s limitations and potential future research directions. For instance, we explored the need to engage with governmental decision-makers to create proprietary AI systems that mitigate the risks associated with AI usage, particularly generative AI systems. We also talked about the regulatory guidelines recently applied in the Colombian judiciary to promote best practices in AI implementation in the Colombian judiciary.
In summary, participating in dg.o 2025 was an invaluable experience that allowed me to learn, discuss, and connect with partners around the world who share similar interests in using innovative technologies to address global challenges, such as reducing inequalities and promoting democratic governance.
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I would like to express my gratitude to the Digital Government Society for granting me the travel scholarship to attend dg.o 2025. This initiative enabled me to connect with numerous scholars, PhD students, and policymakers, providing a platform to collaborate on developing better strategies for achieving digital governments that can confront social challenges, especially in, but not limited to, the Global South like Latin America.