Artificial Intelligence in Social Security: Opportunities and Challenges

Artificial intelligence (AI) is shaping up to be the transformative technology of our time and has become a powerful driver for social change. Social security institutions are progressively applying emerging technologies, including big data analysis, artificial intelligence, blockchain, and biometrics. The increasing use of AI by social security institutions is enabling more proactive and automated deliveries of social services. Although the potential of these technologies has not yet been fully tested nor explored, they are already providing relevant outcomes in key social security areas such as addressing error, evasion, and fraud, as well as developing effective approaches and automated solutions to customers’ concerns aimed at improving social services. The field of application of the technologies includes medical care, adaptive systems in robots carrying out dangerous activities at work, communication with insured people, and management of welfare benefits. However, the application of AI in the social sector also poses important challenges, prompting state institutions to consider how best to take full advantage of this new technology. Rapid introduction of automated technological solutions poses potential risks as well. This paper explores the various types of AI application and current and future uses of the AI in the field of social security, with a particular focus on strategies for governments as they consider implementing AI. It concludes that the use of AI in social security is both inevitable and potentially beneficial for all parties involved. It also is not necessarily either an unadulterated boon or bane but calls for careful planning and a comparative assessment of the benefits and challenges of AI versus human labour.