This book gives a comprehensive overview of the state of Artificial Intelligence (AI), especially machine learning (ML) applications in public service delivery in Estonia, discussing the manifold ethical and legal issues that arise under both European and Estonian law. Final conclusions and recommendations set out and analyze various policy options for the public sector, taking into account recent developments at the European level – such as the AIA proposal – as well as the experience of countries that have issued principles and guidelines or even laws for the use of ML in the public sector. “For two reasons, this study is relevant not only for an audience which is interested in Estonian administrative law. First, the authors base their legal analysis primarily on EU law and provide a state of the art-analysis of the relevant secondary legislation. This makes the book a reference text for the European debate on public sector AI governance. Second, this study is part of a larger research project in which four specific use cases of public sector AI have been developed and tested. The practical insights gained in these projects have provided the authors with an excellent understanding of the opportunities and risks of the technology, which distinguishes this legal analysis from similar enterprises.” Excerpt from the foreword by Professor Thomas Wischmeyer (University of Bielefeld)

This book reviews present state-of-the-art research related to the security of cloud computing including developments in conversational AI applications. It is particularly suited for those that bridge the academic world and industry, allowing readers to understand the security concerns in advanced security solutions for conversational AI in the cloud platform domain by reviewing present and evolving security solutions, their limitations, and future research directions. Conversational AI combines natural language processing (NLP) with traditional software like chatbots, voice assistants, or an interactive voice recognition system to help customers through either a spoken or typed interface. Conversational chatbots that respond to questions promptly and accurately to help customers are a fascinating development since they make the customer service industry somewhat self-sufficient. A well-automated chatbot can decimate staffing needs, but creating one is a time-consuming process. Voice recognition technologies are becoming more critical as AI assistants like Alexa become more popular. Chatbots in the corporate world have advanced technical connections with clients thanks to improvements in artificial intelligence. However, these chatbots’ increased access to sensitive information has raised serious security concerns. Threats are one-time events such as malware and DDOS (Distributed Denial of Service) assaults. Targeted strikes on companies are familiar and frequently lock workers out. User privacy violations are becoming more common, emphasizing the dangers of employing chatbots. Vulnerabilities are systemic problems that enable thieves to break in. Vulnerabilities allow threats to enter the system, hence they are inextricably linked. Malicious chatbots are widely used to spam and advertise in chat rooms by imitating human behavior and discussions, or to trick individuals into disclosing personal information like bank account details.

Available online: https://pub.norden.org/temanord2024-503/ In this report leading researchers within law and digitalisation from Norway, Sweden, Finland, Latvia, Estonia, Lithuania, and Denmark present the fundamental characteristics of the digitalization of their national public administrations from a legal perspective. An important conclusion of the DigiLaw project is that the Nordic-Baltic countries possess different specialised expertise and experiences when it comes to public digitalisation, and from different angles and at various levels, all researchers recommend strengthening the Nordic-Baltic cooperation when it comes to sharing experiences and handling challenges related to public digitalization.

Recent confrontations between constitutional courts and parliamentary majorities in several European countries have attracted international interest in the relationship between the judiciary and the legislature. Some political actors have argued that courts have assumed too much power and politics has been extremely judicialized. This volume accurately and systematically examines the extent to which this aggregation of power may have constrained the dominant political actors’ room for manoeuvre. To explore the diversity and measure the strength of judicial decisions, the contributors to this work have elaborated a methodology to give a more nuanced picture of the practice of constitutional adjudication in Central and Eastern Europe between 1990 and 2020. The work opens with an assessment of the existing literature on empirical analysis of judicial decisions with a special focus on the Central and Eastern European region, and a short summary of the methodology of the project. This is followed by ten country studies and a concluding chapter providing a comprehensive comparative analysis of the results. A further nine countries are explored in the counterpart volume to this book: Constitutional Review in Western Europe: Judicial-Legislative Relations in Comparative Perspective. The collection will be an invaluable resource for those working in the areas of empirical legal research and comparative constitutional law, as well as political scientists interested in judicial politics.

Algorithms are now widely employed to make decisions that have increasingly far-reaching impacts on individuals and society as a whole ("algorithmic governance"), which could potentially lead to manipulation, biases, censorship, social discrimination, violations of privacy, property rights, and more. This has sparked a global debate on how to regulate AI and robotics ("governance of algorithms"). This book discusses both of these key aspects: the impact of algorithms, and the possibilities for future regulation.

In our data-rich era, extracting meaningful insights from the vast amount of information has become a crucial challenge, especially in government service delivery where informed decisions are paramount. Traditional approaches struggle with the enormity of data, highlighting the need for a new approach that integrates data science and machine learning. The book, Machine Learning and Data Science Techniques for Effective Government Service Delivery, becomes a vital resource in this transformation, offering a deep understanding of these technologies and their applications. Within the complex landscape of modern governance, this book stands as a solution-oriented guide. Recognizing data's value in the 21st century, it navigates the world of data science and machine learning, enhancing the mechanics of government service. By addressing citizens' evolving needs, these advanced methods counter inefficiencies in traditional systems. Tailored for experts across technology, academia, and government, the book bridges theory and practicality. Covering foundational concepts and innovative applications, it explores the potential of data-driven decision-making for a more efficient and citizen-centric government future.

The challenge of achieving sustainability is complex and multifaceted, with varying approaches and policies across different countries and industries. This lack of universal standards poses a significant obstacle to the global transition towards a sustainable future. The COVID-19 pandemic has further exacerbated these disparities, highlighting the urgent need for cohesive and practical sustainability strategies. What sets Green Transition Impacts on the Economy, Society, and Environment apart is its comprehensive and unique solution to this pressing issue, offering a unified framework for sustainability that can be applied across diverse contexts. By gathering insights and approaches from researchers worldwide, this book provides a holistic view of sustainability, addressing critical issues such as climate change, energy security, and social responsibility. It offers practical solutions and case studies demonstrating effective strategies for achieving sustainability goals. Through this approach, the book aims to equip policymakers, practitioners, and researchers with the knowledge and tools needed to navigate the complexities of sustainability in the 21st century.