Prospects and Challenges of Future AI-Enabled Government: Perspectives of Citizens and Civil Servants

As artificial intelligence (AI) becomes increasingly embedded in public sector operations, understanding stakeholder perceptions is critical to guiding responsible and effective AI governance. Building on Moon and Welch (2005) comparative framework and adopting the Construal Level Theory, this study examines how citizens and public servants perceive AI impacts on government structure, functions, administrative value, and policy decision-making based on nationally representative survey data from 1,000 citizens and 600 public servants in South Korea, Findings reveal both convergence and divergence: while both groups acknowledge AI’s potential to enhance efficiency and service effectiveness, citizens are more optimistic about AI impacts on efficiency, structural change, and broader institutional impacts, including its use in judicial and legislative domains. Public servants, conversely, holding a somewhat cautious position and express greater concern about accountability, operational risks and negative consequences, as well as the preservation of professional discretion in policy decision-making. These results highlight the importance of aligning both similar and different perspectives of citizens and public servants in adopting AI in governments.