AI in the public sector: sovereign, auditable, in your own data centre.
Service instructions, bylaws, circulars: in public administration the knowledge is there but hard to find. RAGSuite answers questions from it with sources, for staff and for citizens. It runs in your data centre or with your municipal IT service provider.
Open source under Apache 2.0 · makes no administrative decisions
„What do I need for a residents’ parking permit?“
ID card and vehicle registration. Apply online in the citizen portal.
„Who co-signs decisions above €5,000?“
From €5,000 the section head co-signs; from €25,000 the head of office as well.
„How do I reset my password for the case application?“
In the self-service portal with your staff number. The IT service unlocks blocked accounts.
Key takeaways
- Authorities work under the GDPR and state data protection laws, the EU AI Act and a security concept, usually under BSI IT-Grundschutz.
- RAGSuite runs in your data centre or with your municipal IT service provider, without an internet connection if you like.
- The core is open source under Apache 2.0: open to review and without tie-in to one vendor.
- RAGSuite makes no administrative decisions. It answers questions with sources.
What applies to AI in the public sector?
Authorities use AI under special conditions. These rules shape every decision:
Data protection
Besides the GDPR, federal and state data protection laws apply. For uses with personal data a data protection impact assessment should be checked.
EU AI Act
A citizen chatbot must be recognisable as AI (Art. 50). If AI decides on access to public services, it is a high-risk system.
Information security
New systems belong in the security concept, usually under BSI IT-Grundschutz. A system in your own data centre fits in like any other application.
Sovereignty and procurement
Federal and state governments focus on digital sovereignty and open standards. Open source under Apache 2.0 avoids dependence on one vendor.
AI in administration: what authorities use it for.
Citizen service on the website
Opening hours, documents, responsibilities: answers from web pages and bylaws, with source and AI notice.
Website chatbot →Knowledge for case work
Service instructions, administrative regulations, circulars: the right passage in seconds.
Onboarding
New staff find processes and contacts on their own: important when experienced staff retire.
IT service
Specialist applications, access, faults: the service desk is relieved of standard questions.
An AI platform for administration in your own data centre.
RAGSuite runs in your data centre or with your municipal IT service provider, natively or with Docker, without an internet connection if you like. With a local language model no request leaves your network. The Community Edition’s source code is open; you can have it reviewed and are not tied to one vendor.
No way to run it yourselves? For public content, such as a citizen chatbot on your website, you can use RAGSuite Engine: data centre in Germany.
What your authority settles before the start.
Tick off what you’ve already clarified. Nothing is stored.
Questions about AI in the public sector.
May a public authority use AI?
Yes, if the legal basis, data protection and information security are clarified. A chatbot must be recognisable as AI. If AI decides on services for citizens, the stricter high-risk rules of the EU AI Act apply. Clarify the use with your data protection officer. This is not legal advice.
What do public authorities use AI for today?
Mainly for citizen service on the website, knowledge for case work, onboarding and IT service. In all cases the AI answers questions from existing documents and names the source. The decision stays with your staff, which keeps the use outside the high-risk rules of the EU AI Act.
Can RAGSuite run at our municipal IT service provider?
Yes. RAGSuite runs in any data centre, including a municipal IT service provider’s, natively or with Docker. With a local language model the system needs no internet connection. Your provider runs it like other specialist applications and includes it in its security concept.
Is a citizen chatbot a high-risk system?
Usually not, if it answers questions from public content and decides nothing. It must be recognisable as AI, though. It becomes high-risk when AI decides on access to public services. Check your case with our free risk class check, no sign-up needed.
How does RAGSuite fit procurement and open source rules?
The Community Edition is open source under Apache 2.0 and free, so you can test it yourself before a tender. Enterprise is on request; for tenders we prepare an individual quote. The open source code makes reviews easier and avoids dependence on a single vendor.
AI for your authority: run with sovereignty.
We show you RAGSuite with content like yours and answer questions on operations, data protection and procurement.