AI, monitoring, and the public workplace

In this paper, we develop a theoretical framework to help guide public administration theory and practice toward understanding the effects of artificial intelligence (AI)-assisted workplace monitoring in the public sector. Private and public organizations use a variety of technologies to monitor their workplace, and with the advancements in AI, improved workplace monitoring technologies allow human resource managers to collect and analyze large droves of data about their employees. Based on relevant theory on organizational accountability and technological change, our framework introduces questions regarding AI-assisted monitoring and employee privacy, burnout and well-being, and the overall effectiveness of government performance. We analyze current AI-assisted monitoring case studies from a comparative lens to aid in theory development before concluding with implications for future research and framework application.