Artificial Intelligence and government public sector workers

Feighery, Mark Gerard (2025) Artificial Intelligence and government public sector workers. Masters thesis, Dublin, National College of Ireland.

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Abstract

The integration of Artificial Intelligence (AI) into public services in Ireland is transforming the delivery of government operations, public engagement, and internal administrative processes. While the adoption of AI presents opportunities for increased efficiency, cost savings, and improved citizen services, it also raises critical concerns regarding job security, role displacement, process changes and the need for workforce transformation through disruption caused by the integration of AI. This dissertation explores the central research question:

“How is the adoption of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in the Public Sector impacting job security and employment structures, and what workforce strategies can be implemented to mitigate the risks of workforce displacement?”

The study investigates the dual impact of AI on both the structural aspects of public sector employment and the human implications, using a qualitative research approach. Primary data were collected through in-depth semi-structured interviews with seven professionals currently employed across various departments of the Irish public sector, including health, education, IT, civil service administration, housing, unions, digital transformation and local government. These Interviewee represent a cross-section of operational, managerial, and policy-level roles. The data provide nuanced insights into employee perceptions of AI-driven change, anticipated challenges to employment structures, and proposed strategic responses.

Findings indicate a growing awareness of AI's capabilities, accompanied by concerns over job erosion, skill mismatches, and unclear role evolution. However, there is also a recognition of AI’s potential to augment human tasks rather than replace them outright, provided there are proactive and inclusive workforce strategies in place. Through the integration of AI new skills will be developed and roles. Initiatives and strategies will need to be introduced for the upskilling and reskilling of workers, transparent communication and human involvement, organisational change management, and collaborative policy frameworks between government, unions, and civil society will need to be considered.

This dissertation contributes to the broader literature on AI and public sector workforce planning by offering a grounded perspective on the Irish context. It proposes a multitiered strategic model for mitigating displacement risks and fostering sustainable digital transformation. The research concludes that successful AI integration in public services will depend on inclusive policy design, adaptive leadership, trust, ethical use and continuous engagement with the workforce.

Item Type:	Thesis (Masters)
Supervisors:	Name Email Del Rosal, Victor UNSPECIFIED
Subjects:	Q Science > QH Natural history > QH301 Biology > Methods of research. Technique. Experimental biology > Data processing. Bioinformatics > Artificial intelligence Q Science > Q Science (General) > Self-organizing systems. Conscious automata > Artificial intelligence J Political Science > JS Local government Municipal government > Public Sector H Social Sciences > HD Industries. Land use. Labor > Issues of Labour and Work > Redundancy. Dismissal.
Divisions:	School of Business (- 2025) > Master of Business Administration
Depositing User:	Tamara Malone
Date Deposited:	12 Jan 2026 18:48
Last Modified:	12 Jan 2026 18:48
URI:	https://norma.ncirl.ie/id/eprint/9097

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