Getting the Priorities Straight: Public Values in AI Adoption

ABSTRACT

Artificial Intelligence (AI) is adopted in public organizations as a transformative innovation, yet how value prioritizations unfold in AI adoption processes remains underexplored. Therefore, we ask: How do public values unfold in AI adoption processes in public organizations? We conducted a qualitative case study of an AI adoption process at the radiology department of a Dutch academic hospital after the decision to adopt is made and before implementation, using ethnographic fieldwork, interviews, and document analysis. Our findings highlight how public values and the AI adoption process are balanced in the transition from the initiation to the implementation stage. We find a recursive relationship between public values and the AI adoption process. We show an interplay of instrumental and intrinsic values. We highlight the importance of top‐down adoption decisions for how public values are perceived, and we show the importance of public organizations ensuring public values are safeguarded in public‐private partnerships.