In the Wake of Algorithmic Decision Making: Mapping AI-related Advancements in the Hungarian Public Sector

Abstract

Utilizing artificial intelligence (AI) is among the most substantial challenges of our time, raising numerous issues concerning work organization, technology implementation, legal and ethical issues. This is especially true in public administration when it comes to the systems that support the operation of public services. The paper begins with a review of the various uses of artificial intelligence in public administration (starting from the observation that in many cases the different issues of process automation and predictive algorithms-backed decision support systems are not clearly separated), followed by a discussion of the dilemmas and problems which must be dealt with. After drawing a theoretical framework, the research reviews the systems currently employed by the Hungarian public administration and those planned to be introduced in the near future. Finally, the authors evaluate different aspects of the widespread use of algorithmic decision making in the Hungarian public administration in the future, with special emphasis on the integration of AI-developments in public administration development policy documents, the organizational and legal components, and the potential general acceptance of such AI-based public services.