Table 2.

Drivers for artificial intelligence adoption in the public sector

The TOE categoryFirst-order conceptsSecond-order themesAggregate dimensions
Technology-related drivers
  • AI technologies become easier to develop that lowers technological barriers

  • More user-friendly AI solutions speed up AI adoption

  • Many employees are using AI tools autonomously in their work

Ease of useImproving usability
Easier, ready-made AI tools
Organization-related drivers
  • Public organizations process a lot of reports, plans and memos, which could be automated

  • Many public organizations need to manage, control and maintain large masses of physical assets, which could be automated

  • Some government organizations have exceptionally large and focused data volumes

  • AI can easily perform certain work tasks or support them

  • Various rule-based work duties and decisions

  • Many decisions are basically transparent or public

  • A complex decision-making environment with various stakeholders calls for new technological solutions

  • The preparation of laws, plans, etc., requires extensive background research

  • Cities are multi-sector or ecosystem actors

  • AI could assist with understanding the background variables of various numbers and phenomena

  • Old practices do not work anymore

  • Quality program drivers change

Large data massesData-driven decision-making opportunities
Many easy, rule-based tasks
Open decision-making
Complexity of planning processes
Decision-making support needs
Internal pressure to renew
Environment-related drivers
  • Labor shortage forces to automate processes

  • The city is growing faster than its staff

  • Changing financial models, economic situations or production programs forces us to seek new means to improve efficiency

  • Small organizations need to seek new productivity means

  • EU regulation provides the framework within which one can safely operate

  • Political decisions encourage to develop new digital solutions such as AI

Labor shortageStrong external pressure to renew
Financial pressure for renewing
Political pressure for renewing
Source(s): Created by the author; main TOE categories adapted from DePietro et al. (1990) 

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