Decentralized Intelligence: Designing AI-Enabled Governance for the 21st Century
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.64137/31079423/IJEBMR-V1I2P102Keywords:
Decentralized governance, Artificial intelligence, Blockchain, Public administration, Complexity theory, Africa, Digital state, Sociotechnical systemsAbstract
This paper presents a novel conceptual framework for public governance termed Decentralized Intelligence Governance (DIG), which reconceptualizes the state as an adaptive, intelligence-driven system. In DIG, authority, institutional knowledge, and administrative control are redistributed across artificial intelligence (AI) systems, blockchain networks, and participatory data infrastructures, enabling real-time, transparent, and adaptive decision-making. Traditional Weberian bureaucracies, designed for industrial-era predictability, are increasingly incapable of managing contemporary complexity characterized by rapid technological change, polycentric societal demands, and transboundary crises. Drawing on sociotechnical systems theory, complexity governance, and African digital transformation literature, this study argues that DIG offers a structural solution to bureaucratic fragility, particularly in emerging African economies. The paper outlines the theoretical underpinnings, structural design, and potential applications of DIG while addressing the ethical, social, and infrastructural considerations critical for implementation. By integrating AI, blockchain, and distributed intelligence within public administration, DIG represents a paradigm shift that moves governance from hierarchical control toward algorithmic networks capable of dynamic adaptation and participatory legitimacy
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