Between new beginnings and pent-up demand: AI use in the judiciary and public administration in the DACH region
Digital transformation: where do administration and justice stand?
The public sector in the DACH region is under increasing pressure to digitize. Studies show: The potential of generative AI is being recognized - but is far from exhausted. According to a McKinsey study from 2024, administration experts in Germany rate generative AI as a relevant future technology, but very few are currently actively using it.
In Austria, the Technology Radar 2024 of the BRZ shows that AI is now a topic in many authorities - albeit primarily exploratory. In Switzerland, the national e-government study 2025 shows that one in three cantons now has a legal basis for digital administrative services.
AI opportunities: What is the added value for public administration and justice?
Artificial intelligence can support the public sector in many ways - assuming it is used strategically and responsibly.
Possible fields of application:
- Text generation and file analysis (e.g. generative AI to reduce the workload of clerks)
- Automated classification of submissions (e.g. complaint management, applications)
- Chatbots for citizens (e.g. information on the status of procedures)
- Decision support systems (e.g. in social or asylum law)
These opportunities are not just hypothetical: The Hamburg justice system announced that in the future, AI tools will be tested to manage overload - with a focus on simple, repetitive tasks.
AI challenges: Why progress in public administration and justice is stalling
Despite technological maturity and a positive public attitude, practical use often remains hesitant. An SAS study from October 2024 concludes that many public authorities are critical of the handling of generative AI with personal data.
Key challenges at a glance:
| The challenge | Description |
|---|---|
| Data protection & IT security | Strict legal framework conditions make cloud-based AI use difficult. |
| lack of specialists | AI expertise is often lacking within government structures. |
| Legacy systems & interfaces | Outdated IT infrastructure prevents integration of modern AI tools. |
| Legal & ethical issues | Lack of clarity about responsibility, transparency and traceability. |
How is AI accepted - risk ethics and trust
Modern technologies in the legal sector must meet particularly high standards - not only technically, but also socially. The “KI-Studie 2024: Nutzung & Vertrauen in der Gesellschaft” (2024) shows that although almost half of the DACH population has already used AI, only 27% "trust the (text) output of AI or chatbots such as ChatGPT (…) ".
Trust is central to a sustainable AI strategy in the public sector.
The decisive factors are:
- Transparency in decision-making processes
- Ethical guidelines and supervisory bodies
- Citizen-centered communication and participation
Justice systems in the AI transition: between pilot projects and realpolitik
The judiciary traditionally acts with particular caution - but new approaches are also emerging here. In Germany, Legal Tech.de lists numerous pilot projects, for example for the analysis of major proceedings or automatic anonymization of court decisions. In Austria, AI topics were the focus of Judges’ Week of the BMJ for the first time in 2024.
Pilot approaches in the judiciary:
- AI-supported research tools for judges
- Language assistance systems for the preparation of minutes
- Support in the formulation of judgments (not: decision automation)
Ways to use AI in public administration and the judiciary
What the administration and judiciary can do in concrete terms:
- Further training and knowledge building
→ e.g. mandatory AI training for managers - Enter into technology partnerships
→ e.g. cooperation with universities, start-ups and platforms such as ReMeP - Create governance structures
→ e.g. establish AI standards, audits and ethics boards in public authorities - Promote prototyping instead of planning large-scale projects
→ Small, agile pilot projects enable fast learning cycles
Actively shaping the digitalization of the public sector and the justice system
The digital transformation of the public sector is not a sure-fire success - but it is not a black box either. AI can help to make processes more efficient, closer to citizens and legally compliant. This does not require visions from the future, but courageous decisions in the present.
“Shaping the law - understanding digitalization - taking responsibility for the future”.
This also and especially applies to the use of AI in justice and administration.
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