Towards Sustainable and Resilient Economy: The Role of Artificial Intelligence in Transforming Public Administration

Dear Colleagues,

Artificial Intelligence (AI) has become increasingly pivotal in pushing public administration towards sustainability and resilience. Moreover, in the modern era, governments worldwide face multifaceted challenges ranging from environmental degradation to socio-economic inequalities and unforeseen crises. The available literature provides scant advice on how government entities and public administrators should confront the challenges posed by AI and enforce regulation to mitigate potential harm. Scholars widely agree that the primary challenge of our time is to advance towards a digital and intelligent administration and government (Hujran et al., 2023; Lemke et al., 2019; Tsampoulatidis et al., 2019). This involves strengthening rights and promoting inclusive technological development to protect the digital dignity of individuals (Henman, 2020; João et al., 2019; Agarwal, Pankaj, 2018). According to Purnomo et al. 2019, advancements in digital technology are transforming public service administration and streamlining information-sharing processes. Consequently, governments can enhance public services in line with smart city goals, boosting their accessibility and efficiency.

Digital transformation and artificial intelligence present significant hurdles across various sectors. Both central and local administrations of states require substantial and fundamental restructuring to streamline bureaucracy, minimize public expenses, and notably enhance the quality of services, productivity, accessibility, and transparency within public institutions (Chen et al., 2023; Madan and Ashok, 2023; Medaglia et al., 2023). By leveraging artificial intelligence-driven innovations in resource management, data analytics, crisis response, and citizen engagement, governments can build adaptive governance systems that anticipate and address the needs of present and future generations. However, realizing the full potential of AI hinges on the establishment of robust and forward-thinking public policies and requires a collaborative and inclusive approach that prioritizes ethical considerations, fosters innovation, and empowers communities to shape their own destinies in a rapidly changing world.

As academics and researchers, our responsibility lies in providing empirical evidence essential for shaping these policies. With this objective in mind, we are inviting submissions for a new Special Issue of Administrative Sciences. We are particularly interested in original research papers that delve into the role of artificial intelligence in reshaping public administration. Topics of interest include mechanisms governing AI usage in public administration, the integration of AI into public administration and its potential for building a sustainable and resilient economy, as well as guidelines and frameworks regulating the development, deployment, and utilization of AI systems within this domain. We request that, prior to submitting a manuscript, interested authors initially submit a proposed title and an abstract of 200-500 words summarizing their intended contribution. Please send it to the Guest Editors ([email protected], [email protected]) or to the Administrative Sciences editorial office ([email protected]). Abstracts will be reviewed by the Guest Editors to ensure proper fit within the scope of the Special Issue. Full manuscripts will undergo double-blind peer review.

We welcome empirical contributions in the form of country-specific studies or international comparisons that explore the impact of artificial intelligence on reshaping public administration. These studies should culminate in actionable recommendations for both practitioners and theorists in the field. Our goal is to enrich the existing literature on this topic and contribute to enhanced public governance by providing dependable empirical evidence to inform the development of new public policies. 

Relevant theoretical perspectives may include (but are not limited to): 

• The implication of artificial intelligence in transforming public administration;
• Inclusive growth through AI-driven innovations;
• Artificial intelligence and bureaucracy;
• Efficient public resource management;
• Smart governance and decision-making efficiency;
• Innovation and economic growth;
• Smart infrastructure development, urban planning and transportation systems optimization;
• Climate change and sustainable natural resource management;
• The role of AI in supporting proactive interventions to mitigate climate change impacts;
• Public administration risks and challenges in the world of AI;
• Improving public services through artificial intelligence;
• E-governance as a step of new public management;
• Leveraging artificial intelligence for a circular economy. 

References 

Agarwal, Pankaj K. "Public administration challenges in the world of AI and bots." Public Administration Review 78.6 (2018): 917-921.

Chen, Yu-Che, Michael J. Ahn, and Yi-Fan Wang. "Artificial intelligence and public values: value impacts and governance in the public sector." Sustainability 15.6 (2023): 4796.

Henman, P. (2020). Improving public services using artificial intelligence: possibilities, pitfalls, governance. Asia Pacific Journal of Public Administration, 42(4), 209-221.

Hujran, O., Alarabiat, A., Al-Adwan, A. S., & Al-Debei, M. (2023). Digitally transforming electronic governments into smart governments: SMARTGOV, an extended maturity model. Information Development, 39(4), 811-834.

Lemke, F., Taveter, K., Erlenheim, R., Pappel, I., Draheim, D., & Janssen, M. (2020). Stage models for moving from e-government to smart government. In Electronic Governance and Open Society: Challenges in Eurasia: 6th International Conference, EGOSE 2019, St. Petersburg, Russia, November 13–14, 2019, Proceedings 6 (pp. 152-164). Springer International Publishing.

Madan, R., & Ashok, M. (2023). AI adoption and diffusion in public administration: A systematic literature review and future research agenda. Government Information Quarterly, 40(1), 101774.

Medaglia, Rony, J. Ramon Gil-Garcia, and Theresa A. Pardo. "Artificial intelligence in government: Taking stock and moving forward." Social Science Computer Review 41.1 (2023): 123-140.

Purnomo, Eko Priyo, Ghea Obisva, and Zulfiani Ayu Astutik. "Smart Government: The involvement of government towards public services in Yogyakarta for Smart Development." Available at SSRN 3505816 (2019).

Reis, João, Paula Espírito Santo, and Nuno Melão. "Impacts of artificial intelligence on public administration: A systematic literature review." 2019 14th Iberian conference on information systems and technologies (CISTI). IEEE, 2019.

Tsampoulatidis, Ioannis, Dimitrios Bechtsis, and Ioannis Kompatsiaris. "Moving from e-Gov to we-Gov and beyond: a blockchain framework for the digital transformation of cities." Smart Cities in the Post-Algorithmic Era. Edward Elgar Publishing, 2019. 176-200. 

Dr. Anca Florentina Vatamanu
Dr. Diana-Camelia Iancu
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a double-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Administrative Sciences is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 1400 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

• digital government
• digital administration
• intelligent administration
• artificial intelligence and public administration
• automated decision making
• sustainable and resilient economy