New technologies in the public sector and related citizens’ expectations (Germany and Austria)

Since the introduction of e-government as a research domain to study digitalization in the public sector, a broad variety of research streams within this domain have elaborated on the potential of digital application for public services. Nevertheless, research findings and practical recommendations have not crystallized yet to a fixed body of knowledge. A main reason for this are the continuous advancements of new technological applications and solutions that allow for new approaches and updated processes in public services, as well as the creation of new services in general. Recent technological developments in the context of artificial intelligence, internet of things, machine learning, robotization, and blockchain have led to an increased debate on how they could be useful in the delivery of public services.Despite the fact that new technological developments can have a substantial impact on how and which services are delivered, it remains important to continuously question and evaluate how such technical evolutions change how basic public values are affected by it. New technologies can for example also impact - for better or worse - how basic principles are traded-off against each other in society, such as affordable public services, data protection of citizens, transparency towards citizens, ethically responsible and fair, and equal treatment of all citizens. Moreover, these are principles that are relevant for both public as well as for commercial services offered by for-profit companies. However, due to the often inherently different nature and aim of public services - compared to commercial services - these principals might have - or should have - substantially different importance.
Advancements in technology prompt debates on their transformative potential in public service delivery. We explore citizens' perceptions through analyzing their empirical and normative expectations towards the implementation of new technology. Findings from Germany (n=1,577) and Austria (n=413) reveal modest expectations both related to public and private sector services, tempered by contextual factors such as digitalization levels in both countries. Expectations have been analyzed related to different public values, suggesting that the highest hopes related to the impact of new technologies are related to gains in efficiency and affordability of services. Despite aspirational hopes for improved public service delivery, citizens remain skeptical about governments'...