Author

S
Stoyan Georgiev

Stoyan Georgiev is a PhD candidate in the Department of Public Administration at Sofia University “St. Kliment Ohridski”. He has more than 22 years of professional experience as an international consultant in governance and public financial management, working on projects funded by the European Union, the Asian Development Bank, and other donors across Europe, Africa, Asia, and the Pacific region. His research interests focus on the application of artificial intelligence and big data in public administration.

BIG DATA AND ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE AS DRIVERS OF TRANSFORMATION IN THE DECISION-MAKING PROCESS IN PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.58894/EJPP.2026.1.600
artificial intelligence big data public governance evidence-based policymaking digital transformation
March 2026
624

Abstract

This article examines the role of big data and artificial intelligence (AI) as factors for transforming decision-making processes in public governance. Through a comparative content analysis of key strategic and regulatory documents of the European Union and the Republic of Bulgaria, the article traces the extent to which these documents address the integration of AI and big data analytics in the public sector. Six documents are analyzed: the EU Coordinated Plan on AI (2021 revision), Regulation (EU) 2024/1689 (AI Act), the AI Continent Action Plan (2025), the Apply AI Strategy (2025), the Concept for the Development of AI in Bulgaria until 2030 (2020), and the Draft Law on the Use and Development of AI (2025). The results reveal growing strategic ambition at the European level, accompanied by significant delays in operationalization at the national level. The readiness index of the Bulgarian public administration for working with AI stands at 49 out of 100 points, placing the country at a developing capacity level.