The title deliberately alludes to the concept of the self-driving car - a symbol of technological autonomy, precision and efficiency. The authors transfer this image to the political and administrative order and ask to what extent algorithmic systems can assume responsibility without displacing people from the centre.
Opportunities and limits of automated governance
The book is not intended as a technical handbook, but as an interdisciplinary reflection. It combines elements from administrative science, computer science, ethics and legal philosophy. Of particular interest is the idea of the "digital legal twin": a kind of machine-readable image of the legal system that automates processes and minimises misinterpretation. The authors show how such an infrastructure could lead to a "self-driving state" in which decisions are data-based, transparent and efficient - for example in authorisation procedures, tax administration or welfare state benefits.
Ethics, control and the role of humans
However, Schnitzhofer and Pils are not uncritical. They emphasise the dangers of algorithmic power, the need for democratic control and the ethical limits of automated decision-making systems. The passages in which they emphasise the responsibility of humans are particularly strong: Technology can only serve the common good if it is based on clear normative principles, they argue. In doing so, they place the term "self-control" in a new context, namely as an interplay between digital precision and human judgement.
Stylistically, the work is sophisticated but clearly structured. Complex technical topics are broken up by illustrative examples. The scientific style remains perceptible throughout, but the book is not only of interest to experts. Anyone interested in the future of government, administration and AI will find it a well-founded, inspiring read.
A bold blueprint for the state of the future
Overall, The Self-Driving State is an important book for the political theory of the digital age: ambitious, differentiated and courageous in its vision. It invites us to rethink the boundaries of governance and responsibility and to critically scrutinise the relationship between man, machine and state.
#schongenial, the impulses emanating from Austrian companies.
