Global MPM Insight

AI Innovation in Public Sector Human Resource Management: Possibilities and Threats Global MPM Insight Vol.5 But realising this potential depends on leadership commitment. It requires senior leaders to champion a fundamental shift in how public services view talent development, and acknowledging that the model of a single qualification supporting a lifetime career is no longer viable. Instead, public services must should make ongoing learning and development a normal part of work, supported by digital learning platforms, structured professional development pathways, and recognition of newly acquired competencies. Ultimately, the most resilient public workforces will be those where leaders take an active role in building adaptive capacity at every stage of working life. This means setting expectations that continuous learning is the norm, ensuring access to a wider range of development opportunities, and aligning workforce planning, capability building, and organisational redesign teams and efforts. In doing so, senior leaders can transform demographic pressures from a looming risk into a catalyst for a more skilled, flexible, and future-ready public service. Conclusion Managing fiscal pressure, rapid advances in AI, and the ageing public workforces all pose important challenges for public service leaders. Although each of these factors is disruptive on its own, together they create a rare opportunity for governments to build more agile, capable, and resilient institutions. Governments that act now can shape a public service ready for the future: one that invests in skills, embraces innovation responsibly, and remains grounded in its mission to deliver for citizens. The OECD is honoured to continue its partnership with Korea in this work, helping to connect global insights with on-the-ground innovation to support a next generation of people-centred, high-performing public services. Choi Donwe Assistant Professor & Chair, Department of Public Administration, Hanyang University AI: A New Wave in Personnel Administration Artificial intelligence (AI) is rapidly permeating all aspects of personnel administration in the public sector. AI interviewers and talent-recommendation algorithms, once concepts relegated to science fiction films, have now become reality. Governments and public institutions worldwide are pursuing innovation by adopting AI at every stage of personnel administration, including recruitment, performance management, and compensation. While such uses of AI promise transformative changes such as enhanced efficiency in recruitment processes, optimized human resource allocation, and improved objectivity in personnel evaluations, they also pose threats to core public values like fairness, transparency, equity, and accountability (Berg & Johnston, 2025). In the age of AI administration, what opportunities should public sector HR professionals seize, and what risks must they prepare for? This expert column, drawing on the latest case studies and research, aims to explore the possibilities and potential risks of AI utilization in public sector personnel administration. Expert Column 24 25