---
id: "aiethics:lecture/ai-in-government"
type: "AI Ethics course lecture"
title: "AI Governance and AI in Government"
url: "https://aiethicscourse.org/lectures/ai-in-government"
authors: ["Smitha Krishna Prasad"]
summary: "This module provides an overview of some ways governments are using AI in their own functions, the policies that they follow in this context, and some of the issues and concerns around the extensive use of AI in government."
source: "AI Ethics: Global Perspectives (aiethicscourse.org)"
licence: "Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/)"
---

# AI Governance and AI in Government

A lecture of the course [AI Ethics: Global Perspectives](https://aiethicscourse.org/).

## Lecturer

- Smitha Krishna Prasad, Fritz Family Fellow, Georgetown University Law Center

## About this lecture

Today, governments are turning to the use of AI to improve their ‘GovTech’, the technology that is developed and used for their own functions and services. However, most policy and governance discussions on AI stick to questions about how big tech and the private sector’s development and use of AI must be governed. This module provides an overview of some ways governments are using AI in their own functions, the policies that they follow in this context, and some of the issues and concerns that come up with extensive use of AI in government, and particularly for citizen services.

## Video and transcript

- Video: [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_okzd62_bh8?si=TxYCgfLNo79S-7xm](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_okzd62_bh8?si=TxYCgfLNo79S-7xm)
- Transcript (PDF): [https://aiethicscourse.org/img/28cc1db6-785c-43c9-b9fd-0b3a6eb57fdb.pdf](https://aiethicscourse.org/img/28cc1db6-785c-43c9-b9fd-0b3a6eb57fdb.pdf)

## Read, watch, and listen

- [Automated Neglect: How The World Bank’s Push to Allocate Cash Assistance Using Algorithms Threatens Rights](https://www.hrw.org/report/2023/06/13/automated-neglect/how-world-banks-push-allocate-cash-assistance-using-algorithms), Toh, A.. Automated Neglect: How The World Bank’s Push to Allocate Cash Assistance Using Algorithms Threatens Rights. Human Rights Watch. 2023.
- [Government by Algorithm: Artificial Intelligence in Federal Administrative Agencies](https://law.stanford.edu/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/ACUS-AI-Report.pdf), Engstrom, D.F., Ho, D.E., Sharkey, C.M. and Cuéllar, M.. Government by Algorithm: Artificial Intelligence in Federal Administrative Agencies. NYU School of Law, Public Law Research Paper No. 20-54. 2020.
- [The SyRI case: a landmark ruling for benefits claimants around the world](https://privacyinternational.org/news-analysis/3363/syri-case-landmark-ruling-benefits-claimants-around-world), "The SyRI case: a landmark ruling for benefits claimants around the world." Privacy International Blog. February 24, 2020.