Advances in Management and Applied Economics

Citizen Acceptance of AI-Enabled Public Services and Trust in Government

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• Abstract

   

  This study examines how citizen acceptance of AI-enabled public services influences trust in government within the context of smart governance. Drawing on the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM), this study develops an integrated framework in which citizen acceptance is operationalized as AI service acceptance, linking perceived ease of use, perceived usefulness, and trust in government. Data were collected from 341 respondents in Tainan, Taiwan, and analyzed using structural equation modeling (SEM). The results indicate that perceived ease of use significantly enhances perceived usefulness, and both factors positively influence AI service acceptance. Notably, perceived usefulness exerts a stronger effect, suggesting that citizens prioritize functional benefits when evaluating AI-enabled public services. Furthermore, AI service acceptance has a significant positive impact on trust in government, highlighting its mediating role in translating technology perceptions into institutional trust. This study extends TAM into the domain of AI-enabled public services and demonstrates that citizen acceptance functions as a key mechanism linking technology perceptions and government trust. The findings provide important implications for policymakers, emphasizing the need to enhance service functionality, usability, and transparency to strengthen public trust in smart government initiatives.

   

  JEL classification numbers: O33, H11, D83.

  Keywords: Artificial Intelligence, Smart government; Technology Acceptance Model (TAM); Trust in government; Citizen Acceptance.