Artificial intelligence in anti-corruption: mapping public sector applications

AI is rapidly gaining traction in the public sector across Europe, with applications emerging across various domains to enhance efficiency, monitor risks, and support decision-making. However, its use for anti-corruption purposes remains underexplored. While AI-based Anti-Corruption Technologies (AI-based ACTs) hold promise for accelerating processes, limiting discretion, and increasing transparency, they currently lack visibility and detailed empirical analysis. This chapter offers an overview of AI-based ACTs in public organisations across Europe, proposing a taxonomy based on key dimensions such as target corruption area, actors involved, core functions, AI techniques, and development stage. Findings suggest that various public administrations are increasingly piloting and adopting AI as an auxiliary tool to address corruption, including fraud, embezzlement, and money laundering, across domains like finance, audit, and welfare. Yet, these efforts raise concerns about persistent opacity, which limits opportunities for public scrutiny and accountability.