AI and Public Administration (POL315)

POL315 AI and Public Administration examines the relationship between Artificial Intelligence (AI) and public administration. The course introduces students to what AI is and how it works, and gives an overview of the opportunities and risks in using AI in public administration from an interdisciplinary perspective. It then considers how the government’s role in AI may differ across political systems, followed by an in-depth examination of the governance of AI, and governance with AI in the various stages of the policymaking process. The course ends by exploring how AI may be harnessed to tackle future governance challenges in societies.

• Introduction: What is AI? How does it work?
• Opportunities and risks of using AI in public administration (efficiency, transparency, accountability, ethics, biases, privacy etc.)
• Political systems and the role of government in AI
• Governance of AI: government as regulator
• AI of governance (I): government as promoter
• AI of governance (II): government as user
• AI in policymaking
• AI in policy adoption and implementation
• AI and policy evaluation
• Global case studies
• Local case studies
• Addressing future challenges with AI

• Show basic understanding of what AI is and how it works
• Discuss how the role of government in AI differs across countries and political systems
• Explain the role of AI in the policymaking process
• Develop AI-related frameworks and policy
• Present AI-related solutions to address governance challenges
• Appraise the pros and cons of using AI in public administration