Abstract

With the new changes triggered by artificial intelligence, big data, etc., an era has arrived where existing values and social convention hardly enjoy currency. The changes in the technological environment characterized by super-intelligence, super-connectivity, and agility are expected to have a significant impact on all areas of society, including politics, economy, society, culture, and the public sector. Under these circumstances, adapting to a new environment instead of falling behind is a crucial factor that determines the competitiveness of a nation as well as individuals. Focusing on the acceptability of intelligent information technologies as a way to respond to the changing technological environment, the subject study intends to discuss the ways to increase the acceptability of the general public and public officials.
To this end, the researchers first review literature at home and abroad and analyze previous research papers and policy materials to identify relevant issues. Next, the researchers amend the awareness survey model used for the central government officials in the second-year research to fit the features of the local government officials and reflect the issues identified by the literature review into the survey questions, before surveying 1,088 local government officials on their acceptability of and attitude toward intelligent information technology. Through this approach, the subject study intends to gauge the awareness of intelligent information technology on the part of the public, the government, and the local governments. The study also aims to identify the policy measures the government should take to raise the social, personal, and policy-level acceptability of intelligent information technology, presenting a future direction of a national policy surrounding the new technology.
To answer the research questions, the study is carried out in two parts broadly. First, the researchers look into the local government officials’ awareness of and attitude toward intelligent information technology to come up with ways to promote intelligent information technology usage on their job. Second, the researchers identify the factors impacting the social, personal, and policy-level acceptability of intelligent information technology and conduct a comprehensive analysis to present a policy direction to increase the acceptability at each level, drawing on the outcome of the awareness survey on the general public and the central government officials that were conducted in the first- and second-year research.
From the analysis of local government officials’ awareness and attitude, the researchers identify the ways to increase the usage of intelligent information technology from the perspectives of ‘training system,’ ‘information sharing among public officials,’ and ‘organization-level support.’ Based on the comprehensive analysis, the researchers suggest considering a policy direction that can raise the social, personal, and policy-level acceptability in the aspects of ‘literacy,’ ‘communication,’ ‘experience,’ and ‘differentiation by policy measure,’ among others.