Preparing the Next Generation of AI-Savvy Public Affairs Professionals

Artificial intelligence (AI) is becoming pervasive in all areas of human behavior, including the public and the private sectors. Effective adoption of artificial intelligence systems requires AI-savvy public affairs professionals that engage effectively with the technology and key stakeholders to increase the chances of materializing the potential benefits and minimizing the critical risks embedded in AI. Schools of public affairs need a better understanding of AI itself, as well as all aspects involved in its effective use, particularly in the public sector context. We propose a framework for AI literacy involving five dimensions, four of them discussed in previous research, cognitive, practical, critical and ethical, and a fifth, civic dimension, that aligns with public affairs values. Incorporating competencies across the five dimensions in the MPA curriculum constitutes an evolution that ensures that the core values of public affairs professionals remain relevant and effective in an increasingly technological public service environment.