Polity Atlas
Briefing · AI & the Future of GovernanceEstablished

AI is everywhere in OECD governments; evaluation is not

The OECD Digital Government Outlook 2026 reports AI use in at least one government function in 35 of 36 surveyed countries, but only 10 report any evaluation.

Polity Atlas editorsPublished 15 Sept 2026 · 1 min read

What the survey says. Adoption of AI in public administration is near-universal among surveyed OECD members, while evaluation lags far behind.

Why it matters. Without evaluation, errors in automated decisions can persist unnoticed — the Dutch childcare-benefits scandal is the best-documented example of the harm.

What to watch. Mandatory impact assessments, public algorithm registers and appeal rights for automated decisions.