Public engagement and AI: A values analysis of national strategies

Abstract

Calls for public engagement and participation in AI governance align strongly with a public value management approach to public administration. Simultaneously, the prominence of commercial vendors and consultants in AI discourse emphasizes market value and efficiency in a way often associated with the private sector and New Public Management. To understand how this might influence the consolidation of AI governance regimes and decision-making by public administrators, 16 national strategies for AI are subjected to content analysis. References to the public's role and public engagement mechanisms are mapped across national strategies, as is the articulation of values related to professionalism, efficiency, service, engagement, and the private sector. Though engagement rhetoric is common, references to specific engagement mechanisms and activities are rare. Analysis of value relationships highlights congruence of engagement values with professionalism and private sector values, and raises concerns about neoliberal technology frames that normalize AI, obscuring policy complexity and trade-offs.