DIGSSCORE Seminar: How government uses of artificial intelligence affect the perceived warmth and competence of civil servants 鈥� Results from a vignette experiment
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Sveinung Arnesen, research professor at NORCE, will present his paper听How government uses of artificial intelligence affect the perceived warmth and competence of civil servants 鈥� Results from a vignette experiment听for us today.听
This article tests the argument that the reliance on AI systems affects people鈥檚 affective ties to government employees using AI systems. Drawing on social cognition theory, it examines how AI use influences the perceived warmth of civil servants and the acceptability of decision-making. It distinguishes between two settings in the education system that differ regarding how directly citizens are affected by AI use, a teacher using AI to help assess students and a public servant allocating funds among schools. The analysis is based on a pre-registered vignette experiment and a sample of 4,569 participants from Norway. It finds that AI use decreases both the perceived warmth and competence of civil servants, that these evaluations negatively bear on the overall acceptability of decision-making, and that the effect of AI use is stronger for civil servants more directly interacting with citizens. The findings have important implications for the legitimacy of public organizations.
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The event is in a hybrid format, you are welcome to join us in the Corner room at DIGSSCORE. Lunch is provided on a first-come first-served basis.听
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