ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE IN LOCAL GOVERNANCE: OPPORTUNITIES AND CHALLENGES FOR SMART SELF GOVERNMENT

Abstract

The study determines organizational, technological, and environmental aspects that determine the acceptance of artificial intelligence (AI) in local government entities and discuss the impact of existing AI applications on the administrative effectiveness, service delivery, and civic interaction. The study collects quantitative data using the validated survey questionnaires given to 150 respondent’s personnel and qualitative data using key informant interviews with ICT officials, and document review. Quantitative data are analyzed by the use of descriptive statistics, correlation analysis, and multiple regression, whereas the qualitative answers can be interpreted by the use of thematic analysis. The results indicate that the management support, organizational readiness, technological infrastructure, employee ICT competence, and environmental support are all strong predictors of AI adoption, and the leadership is the strongest predictor.