Artificial intelligence in administration: reducing bureaucracy à la Musk - Prof. Dr Jan Ziekow and Dr Silke I. Keil from the NIPAG in dialogue with the Frankfurter Allgemeine Sonntagszeitung
The ‘Department of Government Efficiency’ (DOGE), an organisation initiated by Elon Musk and created by decree, is streamlining public administration in the USA by using AI, among other things. In this context, Prof Dr Jan Ziekow and Dr Silke Keil from the National Institute for Public Administration Germany (NIPAG) discuss the opportunities and risks of artificial intelligence in public administration in Germany.
The article ‘Bürokratieabbau á la Musk - Künstliche Intelligenz soll die Verwaltung der USA stutzen. Ist das ein Vorbild für Deutschland – oder ein Staatsstreich?’ examines the “Department of Government Efficiency” (DOGE) organisation in the USA, which was initiated by Elon Musk and created by decree. This organisation relies on artificial intelligence (AI) to increase the efficiency of government administration and reduce costs. The aim is to find unutilised savings potential through AI. In this context, the question arises as to what extent public administration in Germany can also be improved through the use of AI.
Prof. Dr Jan Ziekow, Director of the National Institute for Public Administration Germany (NIPAG), emphasises that the use of AI in administration is also unavoidable in Germany due to the impending shortage of skilled workers and the imminent retirement of many baby boomers. Without these technologies, the administration's ability to act would be jeopardised. There are already pilot projects in Germany, such as the AI chatbot in Bad Oeynhausen and the ‘F13’ prototype in Baden-Württemberg, which aim to improve the efficiency of public services. Dr Silke Keil, Managing Director of the NIPAG, adds that AI can provide valuable assistance, particularly in supporting decision-making and document collection. However, it is important that AI never makes decisions independently, but always remains under human control.
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