Introduction

This project addresses the global challenge of AI uses in governments in this interconnected but polarising world. Our interdisciplinary team – consisting of PhD researchers and faculty members from FGGA and LIAS (Leiden University) - will explore the similarities and differences in institutional logics behind East Asian governments’ use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and digital technologies. 

East Asia offers a unique landscape where digital capabilities are used to pursue governance goals and development priorities, alongside its entrenched cultural, political, and bureaucratic traditions. This project aims to deepen the understanding of how governments in this region, featuring a variety of political institutional regimes, incorporate and utilize AI within their governance frameworks. 

Objectives and activities

This project has two primary goals: i) to identify theoretical uniqueness and specific issues related to AI technologies and policies in East Asian countries; ii) to foster dialogue across scientific disciplines, bureaucratic systems, and societal cultures. These goals will be advanced by three main activities.

First, we will conduct research and produce several research outputs that advance the theoretical understanding and focus on various cases of smart governments.

Second, our project members will connect and expand their networks with academics and practitioners through internal seminars and international conferences. This collaborative effort and its results could open up opportunities to link diverse perspectives and research questions in the domains of smart nation and bureaucratic digital reforms in East Asia.

And third, by the end of the project, we will host a workshop that will bring together experts, societal actors, and practitioners to exchange insights and practices related to the diverse governance logic of smart government in East Asia. 

• ai
• east asia

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