Artificial Intelligence in the public sector. Theoretical approaches and proposals for innovative management in Latin America
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.29393/GP10-9SPLA20009Keywords:
artificial intelligence, public administration, algorithmic governance, technological sovereigntyAbstract
Artificial Intelligence (AI) is transforming public administration worldwide by optimizing decision-making and management processes, although in Latin America it faces challenges related to digital divides, ethical dilemmas, and regulatory weaknesses. This study analyzes theoretical approaches and practical experiences of AI integration in the public sectors of Brazil, Colombia, Mexico, Chile, and Uruguay, proposing a context-specific model of algorithmic governance for the region. A multimethod design was applied, including a systematic literature review (2018–2024), a comparative analysis of regulatory frameworks and national AI strategies, and a sociotechnical framework that integrates state capacities and the political economy of technology.
The findings identify a “public AI trilemma” based on the tension between efficiency, technological autonomy, and equity, as well as three possible institutional configurations—centralized, federated, and networked—depending on each state’s level of maturity. The study concludes that the most sustainable models emerge in administrations with robust bureaucratic capacities and active citizen participation. The adoption of AI redefines public legitimacy, shifting trust from bureaucratic impartiality toward algorithmic opacity, which may reinforce structural inequalities. Therefore, AI implementation requires algorithmic accountability mechanisms and democratic governance capable of balancing technological innovation, citizen oversight, and social justice. In summary, public sector AI in Latin America demands strengthening state capacities, inclusive regulatory frameworks, and participatory processes that ensure efficiency alongside equity and technological sovereignty.
Downloads
References
Ananny, M., & Crawford, K. (2018). Seeing without knowing: Limitations of the transparency ideal and its application to algorithmic accountability. New Media & Society, 20(3), 973–989. https://doi.org/10.1177/1461444816676645
Banco Interamericano de Desarrollo. (2022). Inteligencia artificial para la administración pública: Conceptos, aplicaciones y guía para su implementación. Banco Interamericano de Desarrollo.
Bibiana Ruiz, C., & Gámez Abril, N. A. (2023). Explorando la inteligencia artificial: del algoritmo a la educación. Episteme. Revista De Estudios Socioterritoriales, 15(2), 8-21. https://doi.org/10.15332/27113833.9690
Cath, C. (2018). Governing artificial intelligence: Ethical, legal and technical opportunities and challenges. Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society A: Mathematical, Physical and Engineering Sciences, 376(2133), 20180080. https://doi.org/10.1098/rsta.2018.0080
Comisión Económica para América Latina y el Caribe. (2021). Datos y hechos sobre la transformación digital. CEPAL.
Cingolani, L. (2013). The state of state capacity: A review of concepts, evidence and measures. UNU-MERIT Working Paper Series 2013-053.
Criado, J. I., & Gil-García, J. R. (2019). Creating public value through smart technologies and strategies: From digital services to artificial intelligence and beyond. International Journal of Public Sector Management, 32(5), 438–450. https://doi.org/10.1108/IJPSM-07-2019-0178
Criado, J. I., Sandoval-Almazán, R., Valle-Cruz, D., & Ruvalcaba-Gómez, E. A. (2021). Chief artificial intelligence officers (CAIOs) in the public sector: The case of Spanish pioneering municipalities. Public Performance & Management Review, 44(6), 1204–1229. https://doi.org/10.1080/15309576.2021.1952336
Danaher, J., Hogan, M. J., Noone, C., Kennedy, R., Behan, A., De Paor, A., Felzmann, H., Haklay, M., Khoo, S.-M., Morison, J., Murphy, M. H., O'Brolchain, N., Schafer, B., & Shankar, K. (2017). Algorithmic governance: Developing a research agenda through the power of collective intelligence. Big Data & Society, 4(2), 1–21. https://doi.org/10.1177/2053951717726554
Desouza, K. C. (2018). Delivering artificial intelligence in government: Challenges and opportunities. IBM Center for the Business of Government.
Evans, P. (1995). Embedded autonomy: States and industrial transformation. Princeton University Press.
Evans, P., & Rauch, J. E. (1999). Bureaucracy and growth: A cross-national analysis of the effects of "Weberian" state structures on economic growth. American Sociological Review, 64(5), 748–765. https://doi.org/10.2307/2657374
Fountain, J. E. (2001). Building the virtual state: Information technology and institutional change. Brookings Institution Press.
Geels, F. W. (2004). From sectoral systems of innovation to socio-technical systems: Insights about dynamics and change from sociology and institutional theory. Research Policy, 33(6–7), 897–920. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.respol.2004.01.015
Gil-García, J. R. (2012). Enacting electronic government success: An integrative study of government-wide websites, organizational capabilities, and institutions. Springer.
Janssen, M., & Helbig, N. (2018). Innovating and changing the policy-cycle: Policy-makers be prepared! Government Information Quarterly, 35(4), S99–S105. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.giq.2015.11.009
Magalhães, J. C. (2021). Do algorithms shape character? Considering algorithmic ethical subjectivation. Social Media + Society, 7(2), 1–10. https://doi.org/10.1177/20563051211008233
Mazzucato, M. (2021). Mission economy: A moonshot guide to changing capitalism. Harper Business.
Milan, S., & Treré, E. (2019). Big data from the South(s): Beyond data universalism. Television & New Media, 20(4), 319–335. https://doi.org/10.1177/1527476419837739
Moore, M. H. (2013). Recognizing public value. Harvard University Press.
Morozov, E. (2013). To save everything, click here: The folly of technological solutionism. Public Affairs.
Page, M. J., McKenzie, J. E., Bossuyt, P. M., Boutron, I., Hoffmann, T. C., Mulrow, C. D., Shamseer, L., Tetzlaff, J. M., Akl, E. A., Brennan, S. E., Chou, R., Glanville, J., Grimshaw, J. M., Hróbjartsson, A., Lalu, M. M., Li, T., Loder, E. W., Mayo-Wilson, E., McDonald, S., & Moher, D. (2021). The PRISMA 2020 statement: An updated guideline for reporting systematic reviews. BMJ, 372, n71. https://doi.org/10.1136/bmj.n71
Pedreschi, D., Giannotti, F., Guidotti, R., Monreale, A., Ruggieri, S., & Turini, F. (2019). Meaningful explanations of black box AI decision systems. Proceedings of the AAAI Conference on Artificial Intelligence, 33(1), 9780–9784. https://doi.org/10.1609/aaai.v33i01.33019780
Ruiz, C. B. (2025). Análisis interseccional de la brecha digital de género en los(as) docentes universitarios de la región de la Orinoquía, Colombia. https://repositorio.unal.edu.co/handle/unal/88494 Tesis doctoral, Universidad Nacional de Colombia. Repositorio Institucional UNAL
Ruiz, C. B., & Gámez, M. (2023). Título completo no especificado en el artículo, por favor solicitar al autor. Universidad Nacional de Colombia.
Rouvroy, A. (2016). Algorithmic governmentality: Radicalization and immune strategy of capitalism and neoliberalism? La Deleuziana: Online Journal of Philosophy, 3, 30–36.
Segura, M. S., & Waisbord, S. (2019). Between data capitalism and data citizenship. Television & New Media, 20(4), 412–419. https://doi.org/10.1177/1527476419834519
Stilgoe, J., Owen, R., & Macnaghten, P. (2013). Developing a framework for responsible innovation. Research Policy, 42(9), 1568–1580. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.respol.2013.05.008
von Schomberg, R., & Hankins, J. (Eds.). (2019). International handbook on responsible innovation: A global resource. Edward Elgar Publishing.
Wirtz, B. W., Weyerer, J. C., & Geyer, C. (2019). Artificial intelligence and the public sector: Applications and challenges. International Journal of Public Administration, 42(7), 596–615. https://doi.org/10.1080/01900692.2018.1498103
Wirtz, B. W., & Müller, W. M. (2019). An integrated artificial intelligence framework for public management. Public Management Review, 21(7), 1076–1100. https://doi.org/10.1080/14719037.2018.1549268
Zuboff, S. (2019). The age of surveillance capitalism: The fight for a human future at the new frontier of power. Public Affairs.
Published
How to Cite
Issue
Section
Copyright (c) 2025 Leidy Ariza, Claudia Bibiana Ruiz
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
