The challenges of AI in administrative law and the need for specific legal remedies : analysis of Polish regulations and practice

Jakubek-Lalik, Jowanka (author)

There are many new challenges to the classic approach to decision-making in administrative law. Public authorities are discovering the potential of AI systems to improve the efficiency and accuracy of administrative proceedings. However, automated decision-making (ADM) and AI-supported decision-making create new dilemmas, especially in relation to accountability, data protection, and general principles of administrative law. The benefits of AI should therefore be assessed together with the associated risks and threats, with adequate means for control and supervision. The use of AI tools is growing also in the Polish public administration, as is interest in simplifying administrative proceedings and automating the issuance of administrative decisions. However, these trends should be carefully monitored, especially from the perspective of citizens’ rights and potential errors that may differ from the classical, non-automated administrative proceedings. Purpose: This article examines the challenges of introducing AI tools into administrative law and proceedings, as well as the need for specific legal remedies. It questions whether the remedies are the same as in traditional administrative proceedings and whether the instruments provided in existing legislation suffice to ensure adequate protection of citizens’ rights? The methodology used includes an analysis of the legislation and policies, desk research on practical examples, and insights from discussion at the EGPA 2024 Conference. The findings focus on the analysis of existing legislation both in terms of its applicability and practical implementation, especially in light of AI use in public administration. The most important aspect is the link between the use of AI tools and the potential need to design new or adapt existing legal remedies in both imperious and non-imperious domains of public administration, with a special focus on ADM challenges. Practical implications address the new challenges AI poses to decision-making in administrative law. Through practical examples, it also discusses to what extent legal remedies should be tailored to AI tools and how human rights might be affected, necessitating protective measures. These implications are important not only from a legal standpoint, but also for legal practitioners and the public administration as a whole. Originality and value of the article lie in the discussion on the challenges of administrative proceedings and legal remedies in the era of AI. This topic is both highly relevant and timely, as the use of AI will undoubtedly shape the future of public administration proceedings and other activities.

• Language: English
• Keywords: ADM, administrative law, administrative proceedings, AI, automated decision making, Polish public administration
• Work type: Article
• Typology: 1.01 - Original Scientific Article
• Organization: FU - Faculty of Administration
• Publication status: Published
• Publication version: Version of Record
• Year: 2024
• Number of pages: Str. 109-128, 256-257
• Numbering: Vol. 22, iss. 2
• PID: 20.500.12556/RUL-165642
• UDC: 342:004.8(438)
• ISSN on article: 2591-2240
• DOI: 10.17573/cepar.2024.2.05
• COBISS.SI-ID: 218428931
• Publication date in RUL: 11.12.2024

Record is a part of a journal

• Title: Central European public administration review
• Shortened title: CEPAR
• Publisher: Fakulteta za upravo
• ISSN: 2591-2240
• COBISS.SI-ID: 293849600

Licences

• License: CC BY-SA 4.0, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International
• Link: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/
• Description: This Creative Commons license is very similar to the regular Attribution license, but requires the release of all derivative works under this same license.

Secondary language

• Language: Slovenian
• Title: Izzivi umetne inteligence v upravnem pravu in potreba po posebnih pravnih sredstvih : analiza poljske regulative in prakse

Abstract

Odločanje v upravnih postopkih se sooča s številnimi novimi izzivi. Javni organi odkrivajo prednosti sistemov umetne inteligence (UI) za izboljšanje učinkovi-tosti in natančnosti upravnih postopkov, ob tem pa se pojavljajo nove dileme, zlasti v zvezi z odgovornostjo, varstvom podatkov in splošnimi načeli uprav-nega prava. Koristi UI je zato treba presojati skupaj s povezanimi tveganji in grožnjami ter uvesti ustrezna sredstva za nadzor in spremljanje. Uporaba UI narašča tudi v poljski javni upravi, prav tako zanimanje za poenostavitev upravnih postopkov in avtomatizacijo izdajanja upravnih odločb. Vendar je treba ta razvoj skrbno spremljati, zlasti z vidika pravic državljanov in morebitnih napak, ki so drugačne od tistih v klasičnih, neavtomatiziranih upravnih postopkih. Namen: Prispevek obravnava izzive uvajanja orodij UI v upravno pravo in postopke ter potrebo po posebnih pravnih sredstvih. Postavlja se vprašanje, ali so pravna sredstva enaka kot v klasičnih upravnih postopkih in ali instrumenti iz obstoječe zakonodaje zadostujejo za zagotovitev ustreznega varstva pravic državljanov? Uporabljena metodologija vključuje analizo zakonodaje in politik, študijo prak-tičnih primerov ter proučitev spoznanj iz razprave na konferenci EGPA 2024. Ugotovitve se osredotočajo na analizo obstoječe zakonodaje tako z vidika njene uporabe kot praktičnega izvajanja, zlasti v luči uporabe UI v javni upravi. Najpomembnejši vidik je povezava med uporabo orodij UI in morebitno potrebo po oblikovanju novih ali prilagoditvi obstoječih pravnih sredstev na vseh področjih javne uprave, s posebnim poudarkom na izzivih avtomatiziranega odločanja. Praktične posledice zadevajo nove izzive, ki jih UI predstavlja za odločanje v upravnih postopkih. S praktičnimi primeri prispevek obravnava tudi, v kolikšni meri je treba pravna sredstva prilagoditi orodjem UI in kakšen je njihov vpliv na človekove pravice, kar bi zahtevalo ustrezne zaščitne ukrepe. Te posledice niso pomembne le s pravnega vidika, temveč tudi za pravne strokovnjake in javno upravo kot celoto. Izvirnost in vrednost prispevka je v razpravi o izzivih upravnih postopkov in pravnih sredstev v dobi UI. Ta tema je vsekakor aktualna, saj bo uporaba UI nedvomno zaznamovala prihodnost postopkov in drugih dejavnosti javne uprave.

• Keywords: avtomatizirano odločanje, upravno pravo, upravni postopki, umetna inteligenca, poljska javna uprava