Use of artificial intelligence in developing e-services in municipalities: The example of 5 district municipalities of Bursa

The main purpose of this study is to comprehensively examine the potential and current status of artificial intelligence (AI) applications in the development of e-services in Bursa Metropolitan District Municipalities. With the acceleration of digital transformation in today's world, it is increasingly important for public services to become more effective, accessible and sustainable. In this context, the integration of artificial intelligence technologies into municipal services offers great potential not only in terms of increasing service quality but also in terms of increasing citizen satisfaction, increasing operational efficiency and implementing the smart city vision. The 21st century is a period in which information and technology are rapidly transforming and digitalization has an impact on every aspect of daily life. One of the most striking technological developments of this period is undoubtedly artificial intelligence technologies. Artificial intelligence has begun to be used in many sectors such as health, education, transportation and security and has found a wide range of applications from decision-making processes to data analysis. Although there are various concerns about these technologies such as ethics, security and privacy, the opportunities they offer in public administration and local service delivery are undeniable. A mixed method was used within the scope of the study. Both qualitative and quantitative data were used; data was collected through literature review, case studies and semi-structured interviews with municipality executives. Interviews were conducted with mayors, deputy mayors and information technology managers. In this context, the data obtained was analyzed, the current situation was evaluated and potential development areas were revealed. The findings show that awareness of artificial intelligence technologies is increasing day by day in the municipalities examined, but the applications are still at an early stage. Currently, existing AI applications are generally used in limited areas such as citizen information systems, request and complaint management and are largely automation oriented. However, the real potential of AI offers more advanced solutions such as personalized service delivery, predictive analysis, full automation of processes and smart city applications. The study also determined that there are some important obstacles to the implementation of this potential. Municipalities have difficulty in spreading AI applications due to technological infrastructure deficiencies, limited budgets, difficulties in accessing qualified human resources and concerns about data security. As a result, artificial intelligence technologies stand out as one of the most critical elements of digital transformation in local governments; however, strategic planning, investment prioritization and strengthening of human resource capacity are needed for the effective implementation of these technologies.