Local Government Officials’ Interest in Generative AI and Its Influence on Broader Engagement with Digital Technologies

This study analyzes how the emergence of generative AI has influenced local government employees’ interest in digital technologies in Japan. Using comparative data collected before and after its emergence, we examine differences across organizational types, job roles, and awareness of work-related issues. The findings reveal that generative AI elicits exceptionally high and uniform interest, regardless of staff attributes, and serves as a catalyst for increasing interest in related, implementable technologies. However, its influence is uneven across technological domains. These results provide new insight into how emerging technologies reshape digital engagement in public administration and suggest strategies for effective digital transformation.