The Fourth Industrial Revolution is changing the way states interact with their citizens and the role of civil servants in managing these changes. Machine-based learning and analysis will provide better evidence for policymaking than humans can.
How governments interact with their citizens is changing, and this change presents both opportunities and challenges. On the one hand, governments can use new technologies to better engage citizens and understand their needs.
On the other hand, there is a risk that these same technologies will be used to violate citizens’ privacy and erode their civil liberties. It is difficult to predict how these changes will play out, but they are likely to have a profound impact on society.
An Effective E-Government
For countries to be prosperous in the future, it is not only necessary that they adopt new technology but also that they have strong institutional support. All states collect data on their citizens, but how it is used will depend on the quality of governance. Public organizations must be aware of the increased risks to the privacy and security of citizen data that come with the collection, analysis, and use of big data.
Digital technology is revolutionizing the way people interact with their government. The public now has more power than ever to hold their government accountable and demand transparency. At the same time, big data and artificial intelligence are giving the government unprecedented insight into the lives of its citizens. This cognitive dissonance will challenge every government in the coming years.
The internet presents a unique challenge for governments trying to maintain control over their territory. The internet is a non-physical space, making it difficult to police. The governing body for the internet, ICANN, is trying to preserve the internet’s global interoperability in the face of threats from government censorship. Unauthorized access to digital systems can come from anywhere in the world, making it difficult for states to respond effectively.
The government is trying to protect people’s privacy by restricting access to data, but at the same time, agencies need to share data to work together effectively. This tension will continue to grow as data becomes more central to public administration and commercial activity.
Understanding Privacy
AI is making it easier to learn more about individuals without them even knowing. For example, AI can guess someone’s sexual orientation just by looking at a photo of their face. This means that AI can be used to classify people without them even knowing, which could have dangerous consequences.
Different cultures have different ideas about what privacy means and how it should be protected. Technology is changing the way we think about privacy, and new technologies highlight the fact that different people have different ideas about privacy.
Governments are urged to use big data to deliver more targeted and efficient services to citizens. However, this use of big data raises concerns about privacy and ethics. For example, using AI in police profiling to predict people’s behavior may reinforce stereotypes and social exclusion, subverting individual choice and equal opportunities.
Some people may be concerned about their personal information being collected and stored by government agencies or by corporations. They may not want these entities to know intimate details about their lives. However, others may not mind sharing this information on social media posts, blogs, and profiles.
Conclusion
The traditional concept of privacy is no longer adequate in the digital age. Data can be easily moved across borders or stolen, making it hard for the government to protect. Still, it must do so because citizen trust in the government’s ability to protect their data is essential for the smooth functioning of society.
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Written by Hiran Wickramasinghe