Artificial Intelligence and Government: Examining the Roles and Uses of AI in Enhancing Government Operations

Artificial Intelligence and Government offers a timely and comprehensive exploration of how AI is transforming public institutions across the globe. From climate resilience and urban planning to justice and equitable service delivery, this book examines the profound opportunities and challenges that AI brings to the heart of governance. Drawing on insights from leading scholars and practitioners, it reveals how governments are harnessing advanced technologies―such as machine learning, data analytics, and robotics―to anticipate societal needs, improve policy outcomes, and engage citizens in new ways.

Yet, as algorithms increasingly shape the fabric of public life, the book does not shy away from the pressing ethical, legal, and societal dilemmas that accompany AI’s rise. It confronts questions of algorithmic bias, accountability, privacy, and the urgent need for democratic oversight in a world run by data. Through in-depth case studies, empirical and conceptual investigations, policy insights, and expert analyses, Artificial Intelligence and Government provides a multidimensional understanding of AI’s influence on government operations, offering practical guidance for policymakers, public administrators, technologists, researchers, and engaged citizens alike.

The book’s central aim is to bridge the critical knowledge gap surrounding AI’s integration into government. It examines the current state of AI adoption across governments worldwide, including adoption strategies, readiness frameworks, and how governments are innovating with AI technologies, while offering philosophical and forward-looking critique. Additionally, the book analyzes the barriers to AI adoption, assesses the impact on policy, service quality and citizen engagement, and offers solutions to mitigate implementation challenges. By examining both the innovations and the ethical complexities of AI in the public sector, the book equips readers with the insights and principles needed to build fairer, more transparent, and future-ready institutions.

Chapters 5 and 10 are available open access under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License via link.springer.com.

Dr. Stephen K. Aikins is an Associate Professor and a former Director of the Master of Public Administration program in the School of Public Affairs at the University of South Florida. He has private and public sector experience working in various capacities in management, accounting, and auditing for nearly twenty years, ten of which were spent in the financial services industry.  During the 2016/17 academic year, Dr. Aikins served as a Fulbright Scholar in Ghana, where he taught graduate-level courses at the Ghana Institute of Management and Public Administration and co-trained government of Ghana procurement officers on international best practices. His teaching and research interests include government technology, e-government, public budgeting and financial management, government auditing, financial crisis and regulatory governance, and political economy.

Dr. Aikins has published in various academic journals, including the British Journal of Educational Technology, Local Government Studies, International Journal of Public Administration, International Journal of Public Administration in the Digital Age, Public Finance and Management, Journal of Public Budgeting, Accounting and Financial Management, State and Local Government Review. He is the editor of Managing E-government Projects: Concepts, Issues and Best Practices and the co-editor of Web 2.0 Technologies and Democratic Governance: Politics, Policy and Management Implications. Dr. Aikins holds a BSc degree in accounting from the University of Ghana, as well as an MBA in accounting and finance, an MS in management information systems, and a PhD in public administration from the University of Nebraska. He also holds multiple professional certifications in public accountancy, information systems auditing, risk management, and business management.

Dr. Tamara Dimitrijevska-Markoski earned her PhD in Public Affairs: Governance and Policy Research from the University of Central Florida in 2017 and is now an Assistant Professor of Public Administration in the School of Public Affairs at the University of South Florida. Before joining USF, she was a core MPPA faculty member in the Department of Political Science and Public Administration at Mississippi State University. Her primary research expertise is in performance measurement and management, local governments, collaborative service delivery, and public management. Her research has been published in Public Administration Review, Administration and Society, Public Performance and Management Review, Public Administration Quarterly, Local Government Studies, Public Integrity, International Journal of Public Performance Management, International Journal of Public Policy, Public Organization Review, and others.

Dr. Dimitrijevska Markoski was Treasurer for the ASPA Section on Public Performance and Management (SPPM) and is an active board member of the section. Most recently, her co-authored article, "Service Delivery During Crises: The Effects of Organizational Capacity, Collaboration, and Public Service Motivation on Organizational Resilience," received the Best Article Award from the ASPA’s Section on Professional and Organizational Development and Public Administration Quarterly.