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Topical review of artificial intelligence national policies: A mixed method analysis

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  • Saheb, Tahereh
  • Saheb, Tayebeh

Abstract

A number of countries have adopted national policies and directives to balance the advantages and disadvantages of innovative technologies. The purpose of this paper is to identify the most prominent topics addressed by national AI policies, as well as their relative importance across nations. This paper integrates the results of a topic modeling analysis of 30 national AI policies with a qualitative content analysis of the policies. Based on this analysis, fourteen main common themes have been identified among national AI policies, which predominantly relate to educational, technological, government, ethical/legal, and social good concerns. Following this, we conducted a co-occurrence analysis of topics across countries to determine the extent of topic prioritization in each country. In this investigation, several marginalized AI policy topics were also identified. In general, the challenges and concerns of the majority of policies pertain to education, technology, and the government. Governments refer to real-world projects and investments in AI technologies without developing shared digital governance platforms that promote responsible and sustainable AI among technology titans and mitigate the negative effects of surveillance capitalism. Although governments acknowledge the ethical and legal aspects of AI development and frequently cite the GDPR, they limit their discussion to the data level, particularly data sharing, and marginalize ethical algorithms and other phases of data and AI management and design. In addition, government policies marginalize AI startups and the API economy, even though they play a crucial role in fostering the AI ecosystem. The paper contributes to the existing literature on AI policy and will serve as a guide for AI policymakers to help them better understand the topical similarities across countries and the neglected or marginalized challenges that require further attention.

Suggested Citation

  • Saheb, Tahereh & Saheb, Tayebeh, 2023. "Topical review of artificial intelligence national policies: A mixed method analysis," Technology in Society, Elsevier, vol. 74(C).
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:teinso:v:74:y:2023:i:c:s0160791x23001215
    DOI: 10.1016/j.techsoc.2023.102316
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Ajay Agrawal & Joshua Gans & Avi Goldfarb, 2019. "Economic Policy for Artificial Intelligence," Innovation Policy and the Economy, University of Chicago Press, vol. 19(1), pages 139-159.
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    1. Gao, Fei & Peng, Benhong & Zhao, Yinyin & Wei, Guo, 2026. "Tech for Good: The employment effects of policy-driven artificial intelligence development," International Review of Economics & Finance, Elsevier, vol. 105(C).
    2. Sebastián Uriarte & Cristian Geldes & Jesús Santorcuato, 2025. "Evolution of Ethics and Entrepreneurship: Hybrid Literature Review and Theoretical Propositions," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 198(2), pages 321-343, May.
    3. Phoebe Koundouri & Fivos Papadimitriou & Georgios Feretzakis & Theodoros Daglis & Vera Alexandropoulou, 2025. "AI Policies towards the AGI Challenge: An International Assessment," DEOS Working Papers 2535, Athens University of Economics and Business.
    4. Frank M. Fossen & Trevor McLemore & Alina Sorgner, 2024. "Artificial Intelligence and Entrepreneurship," Foundations and Trends(R) in Entrepreneurship, now publishers, vol. 20(8), pages 781-904, December.
    5. Saheb, Tahereh & Saheb, Tayebeh, 2024. "Digital health policy decoded: Mapping national strategies using Donabedian's model," Health Policy, Elsevier, vol. 147(C).
    6. Pramukh Nanjundaswamy Vasist & Satish Krishnan, 2025. "AI’s Impact on Sustainability Targets: A Cross-Country NCA and fsQCA Study," Information Systems Frontiers, Springer, vol. 27(4), pages 1445-1470, August.
    7. Zhao, Xuefeng & Wu, Weiwei & Wu, Delin, 2024. "How does AI perform in industry chain? A patent claims analysis approach," Technology in Society, Elsevier, vol. 79(C).
    8. Ksenia V. Ekimova, 2023. "Development of the potential of the digital economy of Russian regions through artificial intelligence humanisation," Humanities and Social Sciences Communications, Palgrave Macmillan, vol. 10(1), pages 1-9, December.
    9. Wang, Shaofeng & Zhang, Hao, 2025. "Generative artificial intelligence and internationalization green innovation: Roles of supply chain innovations and AI regulation for SMEs," Technology in Society, Elsevier, vol. 82(C).

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