AI, Bureaucratic Discretion, and Accountability

PATimes (Josemaria Salazar)

Accountability that was once reserved for public institutions and officials is now grounded in algorithmic decision-making. Who audits the code? Who ensures that marginalized populations are not unfairly denied services by predictive systems? Most critically, who is accountable when AI fails?

UsingAI to Develop Evidence-Based Policy in New Jersey

The GovLab

A Working Group was tasked with understanding how artificial intelligence will shape the future of work. The challenge was significant: how to rapidly analyze vast amounts of evidence about AI’s impact on work while ensuring recommendations reflected the real needs and concerns of New Jersey’s workers.

Congressional Speeches Less Evidence-Based

StudyFinds

For decades, evidence-based reasoning has been losing ground in the halls of Congress, making way for a more intuition-driven approach to political discourse. According to a new international study, U.S. congressional speeches have undergone a profound linguistic transformation since the mid-1970s, with lawmakers increasingly abandoning factual arguments in favor of gut feelings and personal beliefs.

Developing Strategic Foresight Skills to Navigate Uncertainty – Podcast (56:00 min.)

IBM Center for The Business of Government 

Donna Dupont discusses how strategic foresight can sharpen decision-making when stakes are high, the common barriers that prevent government organizations from adopting a foresight-driven approach to preparedness, and the true resiliency for a government organization.  

Resource of the Week:  County Evidence-Based Budgeting Guide

Results for America

This resource is designed to help county leaders invest in proven policy solutions and ensure that taxpayer dollars deliver results that people can count on. The Guide details five action steps that county officials can take to deliver results for residents.