Transforming Public Administration with AI: Opportunities, Limitations, and Responsible Governance

Abstract

Artificial Intelligence (AI) is rapidly reshaping the landscape of public administration, emerging
as a transformative tool capable of improving administrative efficiency, strengthening data-
driven decision-making, expanding citizen engagement, and modernising public service delivery.
The adoption of AI enables governments to automate routine tasks, analyse complex datasets,
predict social trends, and personalise services at an unprecedented scale. Despite these benefits,
the integration of AI into governance systems introduces a host of critical challenges. These
include persistent algorithmic biases that may reinforce structural inequalities, opaque decision-
making processes that erode transparency, accountability gaps resulting from automated or semi-
autonomous decisions, heightened risks to data privacy, and significant technical, organisational,
and infrastructural barriers that impede effective implementation—particularly in developing
administrative contexts.
This review offers a comprehensive synthesis of contemporary scholarship on AI in public
administration, outlining key theoretical foundations, emerging applications, and empirical use
cases across global governance systems. It critically examines the ethical, social, and regulatory
concerns surrounding AI deployment, drawing attention to issues such as fairness, explainability,
cybersecurity vulnerabilities, and the potential concentration of decision-making power in
algorithmic systems. Furthermore, the review identifies essential governance mechanisms—from
human-in-the-loop oversight and algorithmic audits to participatory design frameworks and

robust data-governance models—that are required to ensure that AI technologies are deployed in
an accountable, transparent, and equitable manner.