BarcelonaThe AI revolution has reached power. The public sector has been incorporating large-scale data processing tools for several years, but the acceleration of these technologies is now opening up a new perspective. It can help catch corrupt officials, for example, taxpayers file tax returns and penalize taxpayers. Some of these mechanisms are already part of the daily operations of the state tax department, social security, and some city councils. Others are just beginning to gain momentum. This is an issue that has become a major issue in politics today following scandals such as the Seldan and Montoro incidents, and also the failure of the Spanish state to adhere to the anti-corruption commitment demanded by the Council of Europe.
But will AI help detect corruption cases that affect PSOEs or affect Joselis Aros Ministry of Transport? According to Júlia Miralles, an associate professor of political science at UPF, Big Data They have already allowed them to scan public procurement portals to generate alerts and check suspicious contracts. They do this in a much more cumbersome way than traditional audits, despite the additional difficulties brought about by the fact that there is no complete interconnection between the state's other data held by all involved for all involved. However, from a technical standpoint, according to expert sources consulted by the newspaper, it is not a difficult or expensive technique to implement.
This system allows for call detection Red flag Identify overcharges that may hide the committee, whether it is a mask or a public work project. Several initiatives are already underway in this area. The European Commission has created a tool called Arachne to detect irregularities in European funds, and anti-flood agencies in Catalonia and Valencia have also taken steps in the region. With President Salvador Ira appearing on the Seldan incident, the Commons asked the government to roll up their sleeves and strengthen the tools they have in store.
The most innovative case
Beyond Europe, there are even more innovative cases. With support from Microsoft, the Inter-American Development Bank has created an investment map, a platform that uses AI to increase transparency in public investment. Authorities participated in Costa Rica Big Data The so-called Internet of Things (IoT) and 5G. The result was a camera system that allowed citizens to follow the implementation of public works. The system can detect who enters the construction site, but it can detect whether the amount of concrete, cement, or metal used actually corresponds to the bid. “But it's still very experimental,” says Mirales, an expert on public integrity and fraud prevention.
In China, the system was implemented several years ago, processing all sorts of data on civil servants to prevent corrupt behavior. Despite the positive outcome, it was abolished and the government did not provide further details. In this sense, experts warn of the need to discuss what the limitations of these tools are in order to respect people's rights (particularly the right to privacy).
However, not all corruption can be detected in these systems, adds Ismael Peña-López, professor of law and political science at UOC. Cases such as the Montoro Scandal, where law firms are said to be using to seek money from companies in exchange for tailoring the law. “The administration is very well organized and is not corrupt,” the experts point out, emphasizing that in order to make a real leap in preventing fraud, public sector managers need to be specialized. This is one of the measures implemented by the government.
A big challenge
The implementation of these technologies in the administration faces two major challenges, according to consulted experts. First, there is the Data Protection Act. Second, the management process is often slow and does not evolve at the pace AI has in the past two years. Furthermore, the efficiency of these tools often depends on the data available to managers and the plans they implement for public policy. And this is where there is great space for improvement, Peña Lopez emphasizes. Those who have studied this issue in depth in other words must first have the right database and know what it is used for in order for AI to work. If these obstacles are overcome, progress can be made in a few years to prevent natural disasters, large-scale droughts, or fires.
To prevail these technologies, the Spanish government, Catalan government and local governments are looking for technology companies that are well-versed in the latest trends in the AI sector. Lluís Vicente, head of quantitative consulting and innovation for a Catalan company, highlights, first of all, chat usage is increasing. Bot On public sector websites: They serve both to help people apply for grants and to help them provide customer service to their citizens. The AI expert is also increasingly interested in knowing how to protect citizen data when deploying these technologies. “We're talking about sensitive information. People sometimes look for us because we're not only technical, but we also provide ethical advice,” he explains. Cybersecurity experts also appear here. Jose Delacruz, technical director at Iberian Peninsula's multinational Trend Micro, claims that AI is a safe technology, but it is testing the capabilities of its government. “The bad guys are becoming more and more efficient.
External institutions, AI, are making politics progress
Meanwhile, AI is also mercilessly moving forward in the field of political communication. It is used to formulate discussions, clarify the horde of social media posts, and improve the tone of political leaders' voices and dictionary in clips of broadcast speeches. This is how political marketing expert Isaac Hernández explains. It has already been used in the 2023 general election campaign and is still in use today. From fake news to montages with manufactured speeches about Pedro Sanchez to the use of Donald Trump, portraying themselves with the Pope or fictional tourist Resort In Gaza. “It's a constant communications device, and in light of it, the media plays a fundamental role as a reference to truth,” a neuromarketing expert argues.
