This special issue of GPPG is concerned with the impact of digital transformation and of artificial intelligence (AI) upon the design, management and delivery of public services. This is a significant issue for effective public services as we move deep into the twenty-first century. Public services, like many parts of the service economy, have traditionally relied upon interpersonal relationships for effective service delivery. Such relationships are at the heart of education, healthcare and social care, for example.

This interpersonal basis of public services has been challenged profoundly by the digital transformation of the economy and society over the last decade, with the potential for both positive and negative outcomes (Criado & Gil-Garcia, 2021; Neumann et al., 2022; Torreson, 2018). This transformation has been accelerated significantly by the necessities of the COVID pandemic (Agostino et al., 2021). Five trends have been particularly important here. First, face-to-face delivery can be replaced by an online and virtual experience. This has been the case with the growth of online and fusion modes of teaching, for example. This has allowed access to learning for many people who previously could not access it, for reasons of personal circumstances or location, for instance. It has also allowed online students to study and learn alongside students in the classroom. However, it also risks services for vulnerable citizens becoming impersonal, whilst the introduction of digital services and AI into the care of vulnerable adults has raised concerns about the independence and autonomy of such citizens and about their infantalisation (Whittlestone et al., 2019).