Human-Centred AI for Sustainable Digital Governance in India: A Review of Digital Public Services.
Abstract
Abstract Artificial Intelligence (AI) is increasingly being used to improve public service delivery through automation, data analysis, decision support and digital interaction. In India, Digital India, Digital Public Infrastructure and national AI initiatives have created opportunities to make government services more efficient, accessible and responsive. At the same time, AI-enabled public services raise concerns related to privacy, transparency, bias, accessibility, accountability and citizen trust. This paper examines how a Human-Centred AI (HCAI) approach can support sustainable digital governance in India through a structured review of secondary literature. Recent peer-reviewed studies, government reports and institutional publications are examined using thematic analysis. The review focuses on citizen-centric service delivery, accessibility and inclusion, transparency and explainability, privacy and security, fairness, citizen trust, and human oversight. The findings indicate that AI can support intelligent service discovery, conversational assistance, multilingual interaction, personalisation and routine administrative processing. However, technological capability alone does not guarantee better public services. AI must be designed around citizen needs and supported by appropriate governance safeguards. Based on the synthesis, the paper proposes a conceptual Human-Centred AI Framework with five interconnected dimensions: human needs, inclusive digital experience, responsible AI, accountable governance and sustainable public value. The paper concludes that India's AI-enabled digital governance should balance technological innovation with accessibility, privacy, fairness, transparency, human oversight and public trust.
