Exploring Potential Drivers of Citizen’s Acceptance of Artificial Intelligence Use In E-Government

The current advancement of information technologies has created the conditions to introduce and popularize e-government, bringing citizens closer to public administration. Yet, e-government faces challenges such as the digital divide, civic data overload, lack of trust in government institutions and their online services. Artificial intelligence has the potential to address many of those challenges but also raises ethical, privacy, and security concerns. Which requires that before successfully adopting such a disruptive technology, it is imperative to delve into the drivers leading to citizens’ acceptance first. Consequently, this study proposes an empirical model to explore and better understand the citizens’ acceptance towards the use of AI in e-government. We used an online survey to collect data (N = 208). The results reveal that the perceived usefulness and trust of AI and social influence significantly contribute to the acceptance of AI use in e-government. Despite the majority being aware of AI and e-government, some are not or are not aware of how AI can be used in e-government. The findings of this study can help local and national governments assess the acceptance of the adoption of AI-based technologies in e-government and define tailored strategies to respond to citizens’ concerns and highlight benefits to society.