Title: Reduced perceived discretion, diminished felt accountability, and ineffective gender representation: The impact of AI on street-level bureaucracy
Abstract:The deployment of artificial intelligence (AI) in the public sector raises concerns about accountability gaps, yet its impact on bureaucratic felt accountability remains unclear. This study investigates how AI assistance influences felt accountability (including expected accountability, forum legitimacy, and forum expertise) among street-level bureaucrats, with a focus on gender representation and discretion in citizen interactions. Through a 2 × 2 vignette experiment with 399 respondents, we find that AI assistance reduces felt accountability, especially expected accountability, with reduced discretion serving as a key mechanism. Unexpectedly, gender representation worsens this decline. This study bridges theoretical insights to provide causal explanations underlying accountability in the AI era.
Keywords:Artificial intelligence; Felt accountability; Street-level bureaucracy; Representative bureaucracy; Discretion
DOI:10.1016/j.giq.2026.102140
