Role of Artificial Intelligence in Public Administration Research Ethics

The use of artificial intelligence (AI) in public administration research provides transformative opportunities and complex ethical challenges. In this chapter, the focus is on the role of AI in public administration research ethics. Despite the prevalent use of the term AI, there is no generally accepted definition of the concept. However, in this chapter, AI was used to mean technology that enables machines to imitate different complex human competencies related to public administration research. The discussion is focused on how AI impacts key ethical principles, specifically, informed consent, autonomy, privacy, confidentiality, equity, bias, transparency, accountability, scientific validity, and public interest. In this chapter a cases study on issues and dilemmas associated with the application of AI in public administration research was included to assists in explaining that ethics in research are indispensable because the pursuit of knowledge should not come at the expense of public trust and equitable governance outcomes.