Youth Perspectives on Tech and Artificial Intelligence
The development of technology has created a new era that poses digitalization at the scene’s epicenter. In the public sector, governments have been embracing technology to keep up to date with innovative trends that are revolutionizing the development of international relations. The evolution of digital governance from basic online services to incorporating advanced technologies like artificial intelligence and block-chain has radically transformed the citizen-government relationship by enhancing efficiency, transparency, engagement, and accessibility to governmental data. We live in an age of public accountability in which governments in new and old democracies are under increasing media and public scrutiny. There is growing demand that governments, public institutions and officials grant access to information concerning controversial actions and decisions. In the context of local government, accountability becomes critical since local authorities are closer to the citizens and the central governments channels services to the citizens through them. Their performance or lack of it therefore impacts directly on the central government. Many services such as education, health and social services are delivered at the local level and affect the poor hence stronger accountability and increased oversight provides a better institutional framework for effective delivery of such public services aiming at reducing poverty and promoting shared growth. This study explores young people’s perspectives on the adoption of current, emerging and future technologies in governance and democracy, with a focus on AI. It aims to understand how their tech-driven nature can contribute to the ongoing development of digital governance, particularly in the future integration of AI into public administration.