AI in the State

<p>Governments around the world are turning to artificial intelligence to reshape how they serve citizens. From fraud detection and benefits processing to predictive policing and healthcare triage AI is already embedded in the everyday workings of the state. The results are mixed: some projects have delivered striking gains in efficiency and savings while others have sparked public protests lawsuits and political crises.</p><p></p><p>AI in the State: Bureaucracy Meets the Machine traces this unfolding story. Drawing on documented cases from Europe Asia the Americas and beyond it reveals how bureaucracies adopt new technologies the procurement hurdles they face and the accountability dilemmas raised when algorithms make decisions once reserved for humans. The book explores both the measurable wins-faster services reduced fraud improved compliance-and the backfires when opaque systems reinforce inequity or undermine public trust.</p><p></p><p>Placing AI within the long history of bureaucracy this account shows how governments must balance efficiency with accountability. The machine is no longer a metaphor for the state-it is now part of its very fabric. The question is not whether governments will use AI but how they will govern it.</p>