Paper Number
1728
Paper Type
Complete
Abstract
As artificial intelligence (AI) becomes more important, public-sector organizations must balance innovation with regulatory compliance, particularly as new regulations like the EU’s AI Act are introduced. Using dialectical inquiry, we explore how 14 Nordic public sector organizations frame and respond to the innovation-compliance tension. Our findings reveal three distinct framings—polarizing, complementary, and mutually implicating—resulting in various responses ranging from suppressing innovation to synthesizing compliance and innovation. We contribute to the Information Systems (IS) literature by first extending the subjective theory of information through the concept of “reconception”, a proactive process where organizations reshape their approach to compliant innovation based on past experiences and envisioned future challenges and opportunities. Second, we contextualize the dialectics of reconception within the AI Act, highlighting how organizations can adopt more integrative approaches to the innovation-compliance tension, viewing it not just as a legal obligation but as an ethical responsibility.
Recommended Citation
Hietala, Heidi; Ciriello, Raffaele; Vainionpää, Fanny; Väyrynen, Karin; and Lanamäki, Arto, "Dialectics of Reconception: Framing Compliant AI Innovation in the Public Sector" (2024). ICIS 2024 Proceedings. 4.
https://aisel.aisnet.org/icis2024/iot_smartcity/iot_smartcity/4
Dialectics of Reconception: Framing Compliant AI Innovation in the Public Sector
As artificial intelligence (AI) becomes more important, public-sector organizations must balance innovation with regulatory compliance, particularly as new regulations like the EU’s AI Act are introduced. Using dialectical inquiry, we explore how 14 Nordic public sector organizations frame and respond to the innovation-compliance tension. Our findings reveal three distinct framings—polarizing, complementary, and mutually implicating—resulting in various responses ranging from suppressing innovation to synthesizing compliance and innovation. We contribute to the Information Systems (IS) literature by first extending the subjective theory of information through the concept of “reconception”, a proactive process where organizations reshape their approach to compliant innovation based on past experiences and envisioned future challenges and opportunities. Second, we contextualize the dialectics of reconception within the AI Act, highlighting how organizations can adopt more integrative approaches to the innovation-compliance tension, viewing it not just as a legal obligation but as an ethical responsibility.
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