From Electronic Government to Artificial Intelligence Government: Redesigning Iran’s Public Administration Architecture for Intelligent Governance
Keywords:
AI-Government, E-Government, Intelligent Governance, Public Administration, Digital Transformation, Artificial Intelligence, IranAbstract
This study aimed to identify and explain the key dimensions, components, and architectural requirements for redesigning Iran’s public administration system in the transition from e-government to AI-government for the realization of intelligent governance. This applied qualitative study was conducted using an exploratory model-development approach. The study population consisted of experts, senior managers, university faculty members, digital transformation specialists, artificial intelligence experts, and public policy professionals based in Tehran. Using purposive sampling, 24 participants were selected according to their academic expertise, professional experience, familiarity with Iran’s public administration system, and knowledge of e-government, smart government, digital governance, or AI-based administrative transformation. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews, document analysis, and expert validation. The interviews focused on the limitations of existing e-government architecture, requirements of AI-government, data governance, interoperability, ethical and legal considerations, intelligent public services, administrative process redesign, and institutional readiness. Data were analyzed through thematic analysis using open and axial coding. Credibility was strengthened through expert review, member checking, triangulation, and repeated comparison of codes and categories. The analysis inferred four major architectural dimensions for Iran’s transition from e-government to AI-government: foundational digital and data infrastructure, intelligent administrative and service architecture, legal, ethical, and accountability architecture, and institutional and human capacity architecture. The most emphasized components were integrated data governance, inter-organizational interoperability, secure digital infrastructure, AI-based decision support, administrative process redesign, proactive and personalized public services, algorithmic transparency, explainability, privacy protection, human oversight, citizen trust, AI literacy, digital leadership, and continuous performance evaluation. The proposed model showed that AI-government is not the mere adoption of artificial intelligence tools, but a layered transformation requiring the alignment of technology, data, law, ethics, organization, and public value. The transition from e-government to AI-government in Iran requires comprehensive redesign of public administration architecture through integrated data systems, interoperable platforms, intelligent decision-support mechanisms, ethical and legal safeguards, skilled human resources, and citizen-centered accountability.
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