Abstract
Public organisations increasingly adopt artificial intelligence (AI) to improve efficiency and data-driven decision-making, yet little is known about what AI does, in practice, to decision-making authority, accountability, and public value. Based on 14 semi-structured interviews with experts from national and county government organisations in Kenya, this study examines the tension between AI as a decision-support tool and AI as a mechanism of systemic control. Our results indicate that, alongside efficiency gains, AI shifts how public organisations operate, away from how they are intended to operate. Most importantly, we identify an emerging 'technocratic drift', in which decision-making authority and accountability shift from human-centred deliberation to technical optimisation and expert-driven systems. This prioritises measurable performance over accountability and citizen engagement, narrowing public value. We argue that AI adoption is far from a technical upgrade: it is a transformative shift that risks depoliticising governance and sidelining democratic oversight in favour of algorithm-driven control.
Paper Type
Short Paper
DOI
10.62036/ISD.2026.156
Technocratic Drift in the Public Sector: AI Support or Decision Control?
Public organisations increasingly adopt artificial intelligence (AI) to improve efficiency and data-driven decision-making, yet little is known about what AI does, in practice, to decision-making authority, accountability, and public value. Based on 14 semi-structured interviews with experts from national and county government organisations in Kenya, this study examines the tension between AI as a decision-support tool and AI as a mechanism of systemic control. Our results indicate that, alongside efficiency gains, AI shifts how public organisations operate, away from how they are intended to operate. Most importantly, we identify an emerging 'technocratic drift', in which decision-making authority and accountability shift from human-centred deliberation to technical optimisation and expert-driven systems. This prioritises measurable performance over accountability and citizen engagement, narrowing public value. We argue that AI adoption is far from a technical upgrade: it is a transformative shift that risks depoliticising governance and sidelining democratic oversight in favour of algorithm-driven control.
Recommended Citation
Jonathan, G.M. & Perjons, E.(2026). Technocratic Drift in the Public Sector: AI Support or Decision Control?. In M. Valenta, B. Mannová, R. Pergl, A. Przybylek, M. Lang, H. Linger, C. Schneider, N. Iivari, & E. Insfran (Eds.), Making ISD Sustainable: Reloaded with AI and Automation (ISD2026 Proceedings). Prague, Czech Republic: Czech Technical University in Prague. ISBN: 978-80-01-07585-2. https://doi.org/10.62036/ISD.2026.156