The Legal Impact of Artificial Intelligence Technologies on Public Administration: An Administrative Law and Islamic Legal Ethics Perspective

Abstract

Artificial intelligence (AI) has become a transformative force in public administration, reshaping governmental decision-making, administrative efficiency, and public service delivery. However, its increasing integration raises complex legal and ethical questions regarding accountability, transparency, liability, the protection of fundamental rights, and the ethical legitimacy of automated administrative decision-making. This paper examines the legal impact of AI technologies on public administration from the perspectives of administrative law and Islamic legal ethics, focusing on how traditional administrative law principles are challenged by autonomous and algorithm-driven decision-making systems. The study adopts a doctrinal legal approach combined with a comparative analysis of national and international regulatory frameworks, including the OECD AI Principles, the UNESCO Recommendation on the Ethics of Artificial Intelligence, and the European Union Artificial Intelligence Act. The analysis demonstrates that while AI enhances administrative performance and policy effectiveness, it simultaneously creates legal uncertainty due to algorithmic opacity, fragmented regulation, unclear liability attribution, and insufficient ethical safeguards. From the perspective of Islamic legal ethics, the legitimacy of AI in public administration depends on its consistency with the principles of justice (al-'adl), public welfare (maṣlaḥah), accountability (mas'uliyyah), and the prevention of harm (lā ḍarar wa lā ḍirār). The study concludes that effective AI governance requires comprehensive legal reform integrating transparency, meaningful human oversight, enforceable regulatory standards, and ethical principles capable of ensuring that technological innovation remains consistent with constitutional values and the objectives of good governance.