Artificial Intelligence in Government Weakens Citizens’ Affective Ties With Public Employees: Results From a Vignette Experiment

Pascal D. Koenig, Sveinung Arnesen, Department of Political Science and Public Administration, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, The Netherlands, NORCE Norwegian Research Centre, Department of Government, University of Bergen

Social Science Computer Review

Published online on June 23, 2026

Abstract

Social Science Computer Review, Ahead of Print.
This article examines how citizens’ perceptions of public employees in the education system change as these employees adopt artificial intelligence (AI) in their work. It argues that the use of AI matters for citizens’ perceptions of decision-making not ...