Technological and regulatory developments in the public sector across the globe signal a radical transition; the traditionally technologically conservative paper-based public sector is transitioning to a digitalised, tech-savvy, advanced and inter-connected system of public services, assimilating market features.
Public services and infrastructure are being digitalised; artificial intelligence (AI) and other innovative technologies are being deployed by governmental and local services. There is an increasing trend for governments to set the AI-driven digital transformation of the public sector as a key priority in their regulatory and political agendas.
This work presents the implications of the digitalised public sector, considering both the positive and negative repercussions of AI in the sector. It also analyses the trends and challenges of regulating AI in the public sector, taking into account shared attributes in regional and international regulatory frameworks and strategies. The work proposes a framework for regulating AI in the public sector bringing together critical elements to ensure that the deployment and use of AI in this sector does not prevent States from performing their obligations and duties towards society and individuals.
