Artificial intelligence in public sector services: ethical issues

At a time of an augmenting complexity, uncertainty and shifting demands within societies, governments and public stakeholders need to be cognizant of, adopt and implement advanced and innovative technologies, such as artificial intelligence (AI) technologies, in terms of setting up more efficient, efficacious and responsive policies and services for all individuals. Admittedly, AI, a relatively new and rapidly developing technology, has found relevance and applications in almost every field of public sphere (e.g. healthcare, education, transportation, justice, etc.). However, at the same time unfettered deployment of this robust technology in public sector services tends to pose considerable ethical dilemmas. Thus, the chapter concedes that ethical boundaries need to be placed that clarify and determine a principal ethical framework predominantly targeted to individual action, responsibility and overall conduct in relation to the implementation of AI in public sector services, primarily encompassing respect for human dignity, individuals’ autonomy, decision-making and privacy.