AI Adoption in the Public Sector: Organizational Readiness and the Pursuit of Public Value

Artificial Intelligence (AI) has attracted significant attention among researchers and practitioners as it emerges as a strategic asset for organizations across sectors and industries. Within the public sector, the deployment of AI is anticipated to enhance the responsiveness of public organizations in delivering appropriate services and addressing complex societal challenges. This study examines the readiness of public organizations for AI adoption within Kenya’s public sector and explores its implications for public value creation. Anchored in the Technology-Organization-Environment framework and informed by Dynamic Capabilities theory, the article analyzes how structural conditions within organizations interact with adaptive capabilities to shape trajectories of AI readiness. Drawing on qualitative interviews with seventeen public sector experts, the study identifies a set and dynamic interdependence of critical readiness factors, including technological infrastructure, data quality, leadership commitment, staff competencies, organizational culture, regulatory frameworks, public trust, and external partnerships. By offering an empirically grounded and comparative perspective, the study aims to enhance our understanding of the relationship between AI readiness and public value creation, drawing on Kenya’s example. The results may also provide valuable inputs for policymakers in formulating actionable plans concerning differentiated implementation pathways, capacity development, and the ethical governance of AI in the public sector.