Title page
Contents
Résumé 5
Abstract 6
Acknowledgements 7
Executive summary 10
Synthèse 11
Zusammenfassung 13
Glossary 15
1. Introduction 18
2. Technical possibilities and use cases 21
2.1. Providing information and support to clients 22
2.2. Filling out and processing client information 24
2.3. Assessing eligibility and undue payments 26
2.4. Notifying individuals about eligibility decisions 30
3. Opportunities 31
3.1. Decreased administrative burden 31
3.2. Efficient benefit allocation and related social spending 31
3.3. Improved accuracy and fairness of decision-making 32
3.4. Improved client experience and trust 33
3.5. Increased take-up 33
4. Risks 34
4.1. Incorrect or biased eligibility assessments 34
4.2. Privacy concerns 35
4.3. Increased inequalities and decreased take-up among certain groups 36
4.4. Lack of transparency and explainability 37
4.5. Risks for accountability 38
5. Seizing opportunities, addressing risks: Possible policy directions 39
5.1. Human intervention and oversight 39
5.2. Strategic inclusiveness 40
5.3. Ensuring accountability early on 40
5.4. Transparency and explainability 41
5.5. Data quality and data governance 41
5.6. Capacity to understand, develop, and use AI 41
5.7. Proactive engagement by AI stakeholders 42
5.8. Flexibility and experimentation 42
6. Conclusions 44
References 45
Annex A. Country responses to the questionnaire 54
Table 1. Working-age benefits by entitlement criterion 16
Figure 4.1. Households with internet access at home, by income group 37
Boxes
Box 1.1. Defining "minimum income benefits" and "unemployment assistance" 19
Box 1.2. Defining artificial intelligence 20
Box 2.1. AI-powered chatbots of Canada Revenue Agency 23
Box 2.2. AI use to analyse free text caseworker reports in Canada 25
Box 2.3. Algorithms to assess benefit eligibility using an inter-institutional information system in Costa Rica 28
Box 2.4. Machine learning and data mining to predict social benefits fraud in Denmark 29
Box 2.5. The use of algorithms to identify people at risk of poverty in Amsterdam 30
Infographics
Infographic 2.1. The technical possibilities of using AI throughout the process of managing means-tested benefits 21
Box Tables
Table 1.1. Working-age benefits by entitlement criterion 19
Annex Tables
Table A A.1. Countries' use of digital tools such as AI and/or administrative data for managing minimum income benefits, unemployment benefits, or other income support benefits 54