The potentials and limitations of using artificial intelligence for policymaking

With the increased availability of data and advances in Artificial Intelligence (AI), there has been a growing interest in the possibilities to use these technological means in policymaking. This chapter presents the state of the literature regarding both how AI systems can serve as a source of relevant evidence and knowledge for policymaking and which major limitations have to be considered. It points to scope conditions under which AI can produce policy advice and shows that this potential already manifests in certain areas of policy formulation and implementation – through enabling a better monitoring of policy-relevant developments and making predictions to assess risks and likely policy impacts. At the same time, there are important psychological, organizational, and political barriers to using AI-generated policy advice. Some limitations are contingent and may be overcome, while others are inherent to AI, but also to democratic politics and its relation to evidence and knowledge.