INNOVATION IN GOVERNANCE States and nonstate actors will look for ways to adapt to mounting governance challenges, experimenting with novel GOVERNMENT USE OF tools and techniques for providing security and welfare that DIGITAL TECHNOLOGY could in turn be adopted around the world. Although trends Governments in almost in governance innovation are difficult to discern or forecast, every region increased one clear area of innovation will be in the development and UN Online the scope and quality application of technologies to improve the speed, efficiency, Services Index of online governance and precision of governance. services between 1.0 2010 2010-2020, according • Governments worldwide have increased their use of 2020 to UN data. technology for service provision and citizen engagement during the past two decades. While the most proficient 0.8 countries for digital governance are largely high-income countries, the general trend in digital governance extends across all countries and regions. 0.6 • The increasing availability of data about all aspects of people’s lives—coupled with the artificial intelligence (AI) 0.4 technology to analyze it—is making governments more agile in directing services and providing security. This is a double-edged sword: the same AI-enabled surveillance 0.2 technology that allows governments to diminish crime also enables them to monitor and repress their populations. • Given the roles of public and private sectors in technology 0.0 North Eastern South & Asia development and application, key innovations are likely to America Europe Central Asia Pacific involve both state and nonstate actors. For instance, the Western Latin Middle Sub-Saharan Europe America & East & Africa advent of mobile payments and banking systems in Africa Caribbean North Africa has allowed governments to implement cash transfers and pay employees more efficiently and reliably. • Once established, innovative governance approaches are countries have implemented conditional cash transfer likely to spread around the world. For example, AI-enabled surveillance technology has proliferated around the programs as a development tool, inspired in part by the globe—adopted by at least 74 countries as of 2018—and is success of Brazil’s Bolsa Familia program in the 2000’s in provided by both Chinese and Western companies. Likewise, reducing poverty. successful models gain adherents quickly: at least 40 A MORE CONTESTED WORLD 87 Frederic Köberl / Unsplash