AI-assistants within the public sector : A qualitative study on the opportunities and challenges of applying generative AI in municipal operations
Year: 2025
Type: dissertation
Abstract: This study looks at how AI assistants are affecting public sector organizations, with a focus on IT services in Umeå Municipality. Using a qualitative method, we explore how generative AI tools are shaping digitalization, influencing decision-making, and changing day-to-day routines in municipal IT departments. We mainly gather information through interviews with key people involved within the municipality's operations. Our analysis shows that while AI assistants can improve efficiency and service delivery, they also bring up concerns around data privacy, ethics, and the need for organizations to adapt. Participants were both hopeful about gains in productivity and concerned about how work might be disrupted. This research helps us better understand the challenges public organizations face when introducing advanced AI tools in regulated, politically sensitive environments. We mean that our findings offer useful takeaways for leaders, policymakers, and IT professionals working with digital transformation, showing the need to balance innovation with rules and responsibilities.
Authors: Stigbrand, Alfred, Svedlund, Andreas, Kamf, Victor
Language: English
Field: Social Sciences
Domain: Social Sciences
Open Access status: green
OpenAlex ID: W7045389642