EXPLORING THE ROLE OF AI IN GOVERNMENT
Center for Technology in Government Director J. Ramon Gil-Garcia and UAlbany Associate Vice President for Research Theresa A. Pardo have taken on lead roles in producing a special issue on Artificial Intelligence in Government for Social Science Computer Review. Artificial Intelligence, or AI, is a term first coined in the 1950s that speaks to the ability of machines to carry out tasks by displaying intelligent, humanlike behavior, or a machine’s capacity to behave as an intelligent agent by perceiving its environment and taking actions to achieve some goals. In a modern sense, researchers and developers are interested in how AI applications can augment labor and increase productivity to more effectively allocate resources and foster innovation. But with this innovation comes the potential for misuse, where AI becomes a tool for bad actors to steal personal data or proprietary information or manipulate unknowing victims. With the increased use of AI applications by public services and agencies, researchers at the University at Albany have taken on lead roles in producing a special issue on Artificial Intelligence in Government for Social Science Computer Review. The editors for the publication include UAlbany’s Center for Technology in Government Director J. Ramon Gil-Garcia, UAlbany Associate Vice President for Research Theresa A. Pardo, and Professor of Digitalization Rony Medaglia of the Copenhagen Business School.
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Rockefeller College News Magazine I Fall 2021
“As a new series of technologies and techniques, AI needs to be understood, and where appropriate, harnessed by government agencies,” said Gil-Garcia, who also serves an associate professor of Public Administration and Policy at UAlbany’s Rockefeller College of Public Affairs and Policy. “Making decisions about when to use AI and for which purposes will become an imperative for governments around the world.” The introductory article to the special issue presents an overview of some of the main policy initiatives across the world in relation to AI in government and discusses the state of existing research. Based on an analysis of current trends in research and practice, the introduction to the special issue highlights four areas to be the focus of future research on AI in government: governance of AI, trustworthy AI, impact assessment methodologies and data governance. “Many questions remain about how decisions guiding the use of AI in the public sector are made, as well as the potential positive and negative consequences on people,” said Pardo, who also serves as a CTG UAlbany senior fellow and research professor of Public Administration and Policy at Rockefeller College. “This special issue focuses
