Leveraging Generative AI for Public Service Innovation: A Path to Smart Government in Indonesia

Generative AI has emerged as a transformative technology capable of reshaping public sector operations by streamlining administrative tasks, enhancing data analytics, and driving more personalized citizen interactions. Despite its potential, a critical gap remains in understanding how generative AI can be effectively integrated into government processes, particularly in developing countries like Indonesia, where bureaucratic inefficiencies and infrastructural constraints persist. This study addresses this gap by conducting a mixed-method investigation that combines a Systematic Literature Review (SLR) of generative AI applications across multiple sectors to inform public service innovation, with expert interviews from key stakeholders Indonesian government, academic, and industry. The findings indicate that generative AI holds substantial promise for reducing manual processes, improving inter-agency coordination, and fostering data-driven decision-making. However, challenges related to ethical considerations, data privacy, and limited digital infrastructure present significant barriers to widespread adoption. By proposing a governance framework and offering strategic recommendations tailored to the Indonesian context, this research provides actionable insights for policymakers, government agencies, and technology providers. In doing so, it contributes to the evolving discourse on AI-driven public service innovation and offers a pathway toward realizing a more efficient and citizen-focused smart government in Indonesia.