Sberbank Head Proposes Using AI for Public Administration
German Gref, the head of Sberbank, proposed at the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum that artificial intelligence (AI) can independently make decisions based on data, particularly in public administration. According to Gref, management is built on two components, the first being data rationalisation where “it is best, especially in public administration, to give decision-making systems of artificial intelligence”. He went on to explain that AI is not inclined to corrupt or bureaucratic actions, which can make it challenging to achieve effective management. Since “artificial intelligence does not understand where and why to take a bribe”, it is preferable to give such decisions to the most automated decision-making systems.
Gref acknowledged that not all aspects of management can be reduced to rational data analysis, and that there is an area of neuro-economy or behavioural economy (second component) that studies the influence of social, cognitive, and emotional factors on decision-making. “This is a part where a person is enough difficult and hardly necessary at all”, he explained. He believes that people will create automatic decision-making systems based on data, but ultimately, people will remain necessary to determine goal-setting, social, emotional, and cognitive needs and properties that are needed for the adoption of solutions. This will allow individuals to go into more productive areas of activity where cognitive skills are needed, and subsequently contribute to the development of economics, science, and social sectors.