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An attention-based view of AI assimilation in public sector organizations: The case of Saudi Arabia

Albandari Alshahrani, Denis Dennehy Orcid Logo, Matti Mäntymäki

Government Information Quarterly, Volume: 39, Issue: 4, Start page: 101617

Swansea University Author: Denis Dennehy Orcid Logo

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Abstract

Artificial Intelligence (AI) has been suggested to have transformative potential for public sector organizations through enabling increased productivity and novel ways to deliver public services. In order to materialize the transformative potential of AI, public sector organizations need to successf...

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Published in: Government Information Quarterly
ISSN: 0740-624X
Published: Elsevier BV 2021
Online Access: Check full text

URI: https://cronfa.swan.ac.uk/Record/cronfa59602
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Abstract: Artificial Intelligence (AI) has been suggested to have transformative potential for public sector organizations through enabling increased productivity and novel ways to deliver public services. In order to materialize the transformative potential of AI, public sector organizations need to successfully assimilate AI in their operational activities. However, AI assimilation in the public sector appears to be fragmented and lagging the private sector, and the phenomena has really limited attention from academic research community. To address this gap, we adopt the case study approach to explore three Saudi-Arabian public sector organizations and analyze the results using the attention-based view of the organization (ABV) as the theoretical lens. This study elucidates the challenges related AI assimilation in public sector in terms of how organizational attention is focused situated and distributed during the assimilation process. Five key challenges emerged from the cases studied, namely (i) misalignment between AI and management decision-making, (ii) tensions with linguistics and national culture, (iii) developing and implementing AI infrastructure, (iv) data integrity and sharing, and (v) ethical and governance concerns. The findings reveal a re-enforcing relationship between the situated attention and structural distribution of attention that can accelerate the successful assimilation of AI in public sector organizations.
Keywords: Artificial intelligence; Decision making; Attention-based view; Public sector
College: Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences
Funders: This research was supported with the financial support that was administered by Saudi Arabian Cultural Bureau (Dublin) on behalf of Taif University, Saudi Arabia.
Issue: 4
Start Page: 101617