AI-Driven Sports Governance: Transforming Public Administration, Decision-Making, Accountability, and Public Service Delivery in National Sport Systems

Abstract

Artificial intelligence (AI) is increasingly reshaping the institutional architecture of contemporary public administration by transforming how governments collect and analyse information, make decisions, allocate resources, monitor performance, and deliver public services. Within the sports sector, these technological developments are creating new possibilities for evidence-based governance, athlete development, infrastructure management, funding allocation, event administration, and citizen engagement. However, the integration of AI into national sport systems also raises fundamental questions concerning administrative accountability, transparency, fairness, data governance, institutional capacity, and public trust. This study examines the emerging role of AI-driven sports governance in transforming public administration, decision-making, accountability, and public service delivery within national sport systems. It conceptualises AI not merely as a technological instrument but as an emerging governance mechanism capable of influencing administrative practices, institutional relationships, and the distribution of decision-making authority across public sports organizations.

Drawing upon principles of Digital Governance Theory, Good Governance Theory, and Public Value Theory, the study develops an integrated framework for understanding how AI adoption can influence the effectiveness and legitimacy of public sports administration. Particular attention is given to the capacity of AI-enabled systems to support data-informed policy formulation, predictive decision-making, performance monitoring, resource optimization, fraud and corruption detection, and more responsive sports services. At the same time, the study recognizes that technological efficiency does not automatically guarantee good governance. Algorithmic bias, limited explainability, unequal access to digital technologies, privacy concerns, cybersecurity vulnerabilities, and excessive reliance on automated decisions may create new forms of administrative risk and institutional inequality. The study proposes that the governance value of AI depends substantially on organizational readiness, institutional capacity, ethical safeguards, human oversight, and transparent accountability mechanisms. An effective AI-driven sports governance model should therefore maintain a balance between technological innovation and democratic administrative principles. Rather than replacing public officials and institutional judgment, AI should complement human decision-making through transparent, explainable, and accountable systems. The study further argues that successful AI adoption can strengthen public value when it improves the accessibility, efficiency, responsiveness, and quality of government-supported sports services while maintaining stakeholder participation and public confidence. The research contributes to the emerging literature by connecting artificial intelligence, public administration, and sports governance, an intersection that remains comparatively underexplored. It provides a conceptual foundation for examining how national sport authorities, ministries, public sports organizations, and government-funded sporting institutions can strategically adopt AI while preserving accountability and public legitimacy. The findings are expected to offer implications for policymakers and sports administrators seeking to develop responsible AI governance frameworks that enhance institutional performance without compromising transparency, equity, ethical responsibility, or human oversight. Ultimately, the study positions AI-driven sports governance as a significant emerging dimension of modern public administration and argues that its long-term success will depend not simply on technological sophistication, but on the ability of public institutions to govern AI responsibly, inclusively, and in the public interest.