In the new contemporary pandemic paradigm, higher education in public administration and beyond knows challenges, barriers, and opportunities for the academic process. Shocks, environmental changes and physical distancing in recent years have led to the implementation of efficient solutions in educational services, based on artificial intelligence (AI). Thus, in the global academic landscape, many international universities have adopted a ‘chatbot’, a digital interface designed to stimulate conversation with people. Modern algorithmic communications have effects, such as: increasing the number of enrollments in public administration programs, improving academic experience and active student participation, while reducing administrative tasks on university staff. This paper aims to provide a glimpse on the perceptions of the potential impact of conversational artificial intelligence on public administration (PA) programs from universities and to reflect on its implications for university leaders and staff work and also on students’ engagement. The paper will focus on how AI tools will help university programs to be more effective, and how technology will support the limited human resources in this sector. In order to gather the data for this research, the interview was used as well as case studies from international universities that have implemented a chatbot. The research findings capture technological and digital advances that will continue to shape the higher education landscape and its curricula, especially in PA programs. As a result, leaders will need to monitor how artificial intelligence, in particular conversational agents, influences universities’ images; attraction and retention for students in PA programs and other important partners; staff productivity, and how to be more proactive in initiating pilot projects. This is one of the few publications that looks at the expectations for conversational AI in higher education today. In this sense, implementing a chatbot can be a competitive advantage in a market where modern technologies weigh heavily and make a difference.

Artificial intelligence (AI) integration in delivering public services (PS) has changed the way citizens perceive the necessity of PS digitalization. A gap exists in the academic debate, characterized by a limited number of empirical studies clarifying the structural mechanisms leading to perceived necessity—particularly the role of governance trust and accountability in mediating this relationship. This study aims to fill this gap by investigating the relations between different constructs, like AI Engagement (AE), AI Service Prioritization (ASP), Perceived AI Efficiency in Public Services (PAEPS), Perceived AI Integration in Public Services (PAIPS), the Perceived Necessity of AI in Public Services (PNAPS), and AI Trust and Accountability (ATA). In this research, we employed PLS-SEM to conduct an in-depth analysis of our data and used combined importance–performance map analysis with the purpose of better understanding the interaction of the constructs and offering implications for the adoption of AI in public services. The main findings suggest that managers need to prioritize initiatives that effectively demonstrate the value of integrating AI into essential public services. Emphasis must be directed towards improving transparency, accessibility, and public engagement in AI-driven processes. Managers ought to facilitate opportunities for citizens to engage with AI tools. The proportion of unmet cases for AE suggests that additional support may be useful for individuals less familiar with AI—for example, through accessible interfaces and customized training programs.

Artificial intelligence (AI) is increasingly reshaping public administration, with implications for administrative efficiency, public service innovation, data-driven governance, and responsible digital transformation. This article examines AI readiness in the Romanian public sector by focusing on the balance between individual-level readiness and institutional support for AI adoption. Drawing on the Romanian dataset of the Global Artificial Intelligence Adoption Survey, the study analyzes responses from 353 public sector employees, with a main analytical focus on 290 respondents who reported using at least one AI tool at work. The analysis examines AI use intention, perceived AI work impact, individual AI competence, workplace support, organizational AI readiness, trust/ethical confidence, and risk perception. The study does not measure public service innovation directly; instead, it examines individual-level AI adoption outcomes and discusses their implications for the capacity of public institutions to support responsible public service innovation. The results show that, among Romanian public sector respondents who use AI, AI adoption outcomes are strongly associated with individual-level factors, especially perceived competence, frequency of use, positive experience, and trust in AI. By contrast, organizational AI readiness remains comparatively weaker and does not show a significant unique association with AI use intention or perceived work impact once individual competence, workplace support, trust, and practical AI exposure are included in the regression models. Within the available national sample, differences between local, regional, and national administrative levels are limited, suggesting that the gap between individual readiness and institutional support is not confined to a specific level of government. The findings suggest that individually driven AI adoption must be translated into institutional capability if AI is to support responsible public service innovation and sustainable digital transformation in the public sector.