{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,3,31]],"date-time":"2026-03-31T23:35:19Z","timestamp":1775000119599,"version":"3.50.1"},"reference-count":40,"publisher":"Springer Science and Business Media LLC","issue":"3","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2022,10,15]],"date-time":"2022-10-15T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1665792000000},"content-version":"tdm","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0"},{"start":{"date-parts":[[2022,10,15]],"date-time":"2022-10-15T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1665792000000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0"}],"funder":[{"DOI":"10.13039\/501100001659","name":"Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","award":["KA3978\/2-1"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["KA3978\/2-1"]}],"id":[{"id":"10.13039\/501100001659","id-type":"DOI","asserted-by":"crossref"}]},{"DOI":"10.13039\/501100007837","name":"Universit\u00e4t Bremen","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","id":[{"id":"10.13039\/501100007837","id-type":"DOI","asserted-by":"crossref"}]}],"content-domain":{"domain":["link.springer.com"],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["AI &amp; Soc"],"published-print":{"date-parts":[[2024,6]]},"abstract":"<jats:title>Abstract<\/jats:title><jats:p>The promises and risks of Artificial Intelligence permeate current policy statements and have attracted much attention by AI governance research. However, most analyses focus exclusively on AI policy on the national and international level, overlooking existing federal governance structures. This is surprising because AI is connected to many policy areas, where the competences are already distributed between the national and subnational level, such as research or economic policy. Addressing this gap, this paper argues that more attention should be dedicated to subnational efforts to shape AI and asks which themes are discussed in subnational AI policy documents with a case study of Germany\u2019s 16 states. Our qualitative analysis of 34 AI policy documents issued on the subnational level demonstrates that subnational efforts focus on knowledge transfer between research and industry actors, the commercialization of AI, different economic identities of the German states, and the incorporation of ethical principles. Because federal states play an active role in AI policy, analysing AI as a policy issue on different levels of government is necessary and will contribute to a better understanding of the developments and implementations of AI strategies in different national contexts.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.1007\/s00146-022-01561-5","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2022,10,15]],"date-time":"2022-10-15T07:02:32Z","timestamp":1665817352000},"page":"1477-1490","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1007\/springer_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":23,"title":["Subnational AI policy: shaping AI in a multi-level governance system"],"prefix":"10.1007","volume":"39","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-1842-8705","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Laura","family":"Liebig","sequence":"first","affiliation":[]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-2412-6700","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Licinia","family":"G\u00fcttel","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-4649-7812","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Anna","family":"Jobin","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-1897-2783","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Christian","family":"Katzenbach","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[]}],"member":"297","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2022,10,15]]},"reference":[{"key":"1561_CR1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1177\/01622439211030007","author":"J Bareis","year":"2021","unstructured":"Bareis J, Katzenbach C (2021) Talking AI into being: the narratives and imaginaries of National AI Strategies and their performative politics. Sci Technol Human Values. https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1177\/01622439211030007","journal-title":"Sci Technol Human Values"},{"issue":"4","key":"1561_CR2","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"421","DOI":"10.1080\/13597560701691797","volume":"17","author":"A Benz","year":"2007","unstructured":"Benz A (2007) Inter-Regional competition in co-operative federalism: new modes of multi-level Governance in Germany. Region Federal Stud 17(4):421\u2013436. https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1080\/13597560701691797","journal-title":"Region Federal Stud"},{"key":"1561_CR3","unstructured":"Brundage M, Bryson J (2016) Smart policies for artificial intelligence. arXiv preprint http:\/\/arxiv.org\/abs\/1608.08196"},{"key":"1561_CR4","unstructured":"Die Bundesregierung (2020) Strategie K\u00fcnstliche Intelligenz der Bundesregierung. Fortschreibung 2020. https:\/\/www.bmwi.de\/Redaktion\/DE\/Publikationen\/Technologie\/strategie-kuenstliche-intelligenz-fortschreibung-2020.pdf?__blob=publicationFile&v=10. Accessed 21 Mar 2022"},{"key":"1561_CR5","unstructured":"Deutscher Bundestag (2021) Sachstand. Digitalministerien auf Bundes-, Landes-, und internationaler Ebene. https:\/\/www.bundestag.de\/resource\/blob\/844920\/53939cd9de1c3c435c9af2d0dc75149c\/WD-10-019-21-pdf-data.pdf. Accessed 21 Mar 2022"},{"issue":"5\u20136","key":"1561_CR6","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"88","DOI":"10.1080\/03071847.2019.1694260","volume":"164","author":"J Butcher","year":"2019","unstructured":"Butcher J, Beridze I (2019) What is the state of artificial intelligence governance globally? RUSI J 164(5\u20136):88\u201396. https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1080\/03071847.2019.1694260","journal-title":"RUSI J"},{"issue":"1","key":"1561_CR7","first-page":"121","volume":"72","author":"A Dafoe","year":"2018","unstructured":"Dafoe A (2018) Global politics and the governance of artificial intelligence. J Int Aff 72(1):121\u2013126","journal-title":"J Int Aff"},{"key":"1561_CR8","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","unstructured":"Djeffal C (2020) Artificial intelligence and public governance: normative guidelines for artificial intelligence in government and public administration. In: Wischmeyer T, Rademacher T (eds) Regulating artificial intelligence. Springer, Cham, pp 277\u2013293. https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1007\/978-3-030-32361-5_12","DOI":"10.1007\/978-3-030-32361-5_12"},{"key":"1561_CR9","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Filgueiras F (2021) Designing AI policy: comparing design spaces in Latin America. https:\/\/www.researchgate.net\/publication\/351946065_Designing_AI_Policy_Comparing_Design_Spaces_in_Latin_America. Accessed 21 Mar 2022","DOI":"10.1111\/lamp.12282"},{"issue":"1","key":"1561_CR10","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"170","DOI":"10.1111\/spsr.12439","volume":"27","author":"SC Fischer","year":"2021","unstructured":"Fischer SC, Wenger A (2021) Artificial intelligence, forward-looking governance and the future of security. Swiss Polit Sci Rev 27(1):170\u2013179. https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1111\/spsr.12439","journal-title":"Swiss Polit Sci Rev"},{"issue":"4","key":"1561_CR11","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"667","DOI":"10.1017\/S0008423900000251","volume":"33","author":"R Gibbins","year":"2000","unstructured":"Gibbins R (2000) Federalism in a digital world. Can J Polit Sci\/rev Can Sci Polit 33(4):667\u2013689. https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1017\/S0008423900000251","journal-title":"Can J Polit Sci\/rev Can Sci Polit"},{"issue":"2","key":"1561_CR12","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"227","DOI":"10.1080\/09644008.2019.1658077","volume":"30","author":"M Gross","year":"2021","unstructured":"Gross M, Krauss S (2021) Topic coverage of coalition agreements in multi-level settings: the case of Germany. German Polit 30(2):227\u2013248. https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1080\/09644008.2019.1658077","journal-title":"German Polit"},{"key":"1561_CR13","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.7765\/9781526120670","author":"A Gunlicks","year":"2003","unstructured":"Gunlicks A (2003) The L\u00e4nder and German federalism. Manchester Univ Press. https:\/\/doi.org\/10.7765\/9781526120670","journal-title":"Manchester Univ Press"},{"key":"#cr-split#-1561_CR14.1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"H\u00e4rtel I (2017) Digitale staatskunst: der f\u00f6deralismus als laboratorium der digitalen transformation. In: Europ\u00e4isches zentrum f\u00fcr f\u00f6deralismus-Forschung T\u00fcbingen","DOI":"10.5771\/9783845288253-197"},{"key":"#cr-split#-1561_CR14.2","unstructured":"(ed) Jahrbuch des f\u00f6deralismus 2017. Nomos Verlagsgesellschaft mbH & Co. KG, Baden-Baden, pp 197-220"},{"key":"1561_CR15","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Haunss S, Hofmann J (2015) Entstehung von Politikfeldern\u2014Bedingungen einer anomalie. dms\u2014der moderne staat. Z Public Policy Recht Manag 8(1):29\u201349. https:\/\/www.budrich-journals.de\/index.php\/dms\/article\/view\/19109","DOI":"10.3224\/dms.v8i1.19109"},{"key":"1561_CR16","unstructured":"H\u00f6sl M (2015) Wie entstehen Politikfelder? Durch Grenzverhandlungen, wie das Beispiel Netzpolitik zeigt. https:\/\/bibliothek.wzb.eu\/artikel\/2015\/f-19463.pdf. Accessed 21 Mar 2022"},{"key":"1561_CR17","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"389","DOI":"10.1038\/s42256-019-0088-2","volume":"1","author":"A Jobin","year":"2019","unstructured":"Jobin A, Ienca M, Vayena E (2019) The global landscape of AI ethics guidelines. Nat Mach Intell 1:389\u2013399. https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1038\/s42256-019-0088-2","journal-title":"Nat Mach Intell"},{"key":"1561_CR18","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","unstructured":"Karppinen K, Moe H (2019) Texts as data I: document analysis. In: Van den Bulck H, Puppis M, Donders K, Van Audenhove L (eds) The Palgrave handbook of methods for media policy research. Palgrave Macmillan, Cham, pp 249\u2013262. https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1007\/978-3-030-16065-4","DOI":"10.1007\/978-3-030-16065-4"},{"key":"1561_CR19","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"239","DOI":"10.1007\/s00146-021-01161-9","volume":"37","author":"L K\u00f6stler","year":"2021","unstructured":"K\u00f6stler L, Ossewaarde R (2021) The making of AI society: AI futures frames in German political and media discourses. AI Soc 37:239\u2013263. https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1007\/s00146-021-01161-9","journal-title":"AI Soc"},{"key":"1561_CR20","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.2139\/ssrn.3902733","author":"K Lucero","year":"2020","unstructured":"Lucero K (2020) Algorithmic governance policy and implementation approaches in the United States (SSRN scholarly paper ID 3902733). Soc Sci Res Netw. https:\/\/doi.org\/10.2139\/ssrn.3902733","journal-title":"Soc Sci Res Netw"},{"key":"1561_CR21","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Mayring P (2014) Qualitative content analysis: theoretical foundation, basic procedures and software solution. https:\/\/nbn-resolving.org\/urn:nbn:de:0168-ssoar-395173","DOI":"10.1007\/978-94-017-9181-6_13"},{"key":"1561_CR22","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","unstructured":"McKelvey FR, Macdonald M (2019) Artificial intelligence policy innovations at the Canadian Federal Government. Can J Commun 44(2):43\u201350. https:\/\/doi.org\/10.22230\/cjc.2019v44n2a3509","DOI":"10.22230\/cjc.2019v44n2a3509"},{"key":"1561_CR23","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","unstructured":"de Mello L, Ter-Minassian T (2020) Digitalisation challenges and opportunities for subnational governments. In: OECD working papers on fiscal federalism, OECD Publishing, Paris. https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1787\/9582594a-en","DOI":"10.1787\/9582594a-en"},{"key":"1561_CR24","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1007\/s00146-021-01258-1","author":"G Paltieli","year":"2021","unstructured":"Paltieli G (2021) The political imaginary of National AI Strategies. AI Soc. https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1007\/s00146-021-01258-1","journal-title":"AI Soc"},{"key":"1561_CR25","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Pohle J, H\u00f6sl M, Kniep R (2016) Analysing internet policy as a field of struggle. Internet Policy Rev 5(3):1\u201321. https:\/\/policyreview.info\/articles\/analysis\/analysing-internet-policy-field-struggle","DOI":"10.14763\/2016.3.412"},{"key":"1561_CR26","unstructured":"Pohle J (2016) Die Bedeutung von Institutionen und Diskursen f\u00fcr die Entstehung von Politikfeldern. In: Bergemann B, Hofmann J, H\u00f6sl M, Irgmaier F, Kniep R, Pohle J (eds) Entstehung von Politikfeldern\u2014Vergleichende Perspektiven und Theoretisierung\u2014Ergebnisse des workshops am 25. November 2015. WZB, pp 64\u201369"},{"key":"1561_CR27","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","unstructured":"Puppis M (2019) Analyzing talk and text I: qualitative content analysis. In: Van den Bulck H, Puppis M, Donders K, Van Audenhove L (eds) The Palgrave handbook of methods for media policy research. Palgrave Macmillan, Cham, pp 367\u2013384. https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1007\/978-3-030-16065-4_21","DOI":"10.1007\/978-3-030-16065-4_21"},{"issue":"2","key":"1561_CR28","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"178","DOI":"10.1080\/14494035.2021.1929728","volume":"40","author":"R Radu","year":"2021","unstructured":"Radu R (2021) Steering the governance of artificial intelligence: national strategies in perspective. Policy Soc 40(2):178\u2013193. https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1080\/14494035.2021.1929728","journal-title":"Policy Soc"},{"issue":"1","key":"1561_CR29","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"59","DOI":"10.1007\/s00146-020-00992-2","volume":"36","author":"H Roberts","year":"2021","unstructured":"Roberts H, Cowls J, Morley J, Taddeo M, Wang V, Floridi L (2021b) The Chinese approach to artificial intelligence: an analysis of policy, ethics, and regulation. AI Soc 36(1):59\u201377. https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1007\/s00146-020-00992-2","journal-title":"AI Soc"},{"key":"1561_CR30","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","unstructured":"Roberts H, Cowls J, Casolari F, Morley J, Taddeo M, Floridi L (2021a) Safeguarding European values with digital sovereignty: an analysis of statements and policies. Internet Policy Rev 10(3):1\u201326. https:\/\/doi.org\/10.14763\/2021a.3.1575","DOI":"10.14763\/2021a.3.1575"},{"issue":"3","key":"1561_CR31","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"593","DOI":"10.1086\/467654","volume":"9","author":"S Rose-Ackerman","year":"1980","unstructured":"Rose-Ackerman S (1980) Risk taking and reelection: does federalism promote innovation? J Leg Stud 9(3):593\u2013616. https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1086\/467654","journal-title":"J Leg Stud"},{"issue":"1","key":"1561_CR32","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"31","DOI":"10.1109\/TTS.2021.3052127","volume":"2","author":"D Schiff","year":"2021","unstructured":"Schiff D, Borenstein J, Biddle J, Laas K (2021) AI ethics in the public, private, and NGO sectors: a review of a global document collection. IEEE Trans Technol Soc 2(1):31\u201342. https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1109\/TTS.2021.3052127","journal-title":"IEEE Trans Technol Soc"},{"key":"1561_CR33","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1007\/s43681-021-00083-y","author":"L Schmitt","year":"2021","unstructured":"Schmitt L (2021) Mapping global AI governance: a nascent regime in a fragmented landscape. AI Ethics. https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1007\/s43681-021-00083-y","journal-title":"AI Ethics"},{"key":"1561_CR34","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Scholta H, Niemann M, Halsbenning S, R\u00e4ckers M, Becker J (2019) Fast and federal\u2014policies for next-generation federalism in Germany. In: Hawaii international conference on system sciences 2019 (HICSS-52). https:\/\/aisel.aisnet.org\/hicss-52\/dg\/policies_for_digital_government\/5","DOI":"10.24251\/HICSS.2019.395"},{"issue":"2","key":"1561_CR35","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"247","DOI":"10.1017\/S1755773919000109","volume":"11","author":"MB Siewert","year":"2019","unstructured":"Siewert MB, K\u00f6nig PD (2019) On digital front-runners and late-comers: analyzing issue competition over digitization in German subnational elections. Eur Polit Sci Rev 11(2):247\u2013265. https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1017\/S1755773919000109","journal-title":"Eur Polit Sci Rev"},{"issue":"1","key":"1561_CR36","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"57","DOI":"10.1080\/17579961.2021.1898300","volume":"13","author":"NA Smuha","year":"2021","unstructured":"Smuha NA (2021) From a \u2018race to AI\u2019 to a \u2018race to AI regulation\u2019: regulatory competition for artificial intelligence. Law Innov Technol 13(1):57\u201384. https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1080\/17579961.2021.1898300","journal-title":"Law Innov Technol"},{"issue":"1","key":"1561_CR37","first-page":"139","volume":"19","author":"C Squitieri","year":"2021","unstructured":"Squitieri C (2021) Federalism in the algorithmic age. Duke Law Technol Rev 19(1):139\u2013158","journal-title":"Duke Law Technol Rev"},{"issue":"2","key":"1561_CR38","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"158","DOI":"10.1080\/14494035.2020.1855800","volume":"40","author":"I Ulnicane","year":"2021","unstructured":"Ulnicane I, Knight W, Leach T, Stahl BC, Wanjiku WG (2021) Framing governance for a contested emerging technology: insights from AI policy. Policy Soc 40(2):158\u2013177. https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1080\/14494035.2020.1855800","journal-title":"Policy Soc"},{"issue":"3","key":"1561_CR39","first-page":"86","volume":"48","author":"S Verhulst","year":"2021","unstructured":"Verhulst S, Young A, Sloane M (2021) The AI localism canvas. Inform Raumentwicklung 48(3):86\u201389","journal-title":"Inform Raumentwicklung"}],"container-title":["AI &amp; SOCIETY"],"original-title":[],"language":"en","link":[{"URL":"https:\/\/link.springer.com\/content\/pdf\/10.1007\/s00146-022-01561-5.pdf","content-type":"application\/pdf","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"text-mining"},{"URL":"https:\/\/link.springer.com\/article\/10.1007\/s00146-022-01561-5\/fulltext.html","content-type":"text\/html","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"text-mining"},{"URL":"https:\/\/link.springer.com\/content\/pdf\/10.1007\/s00146-022-01561-5.pdf","content-type":"application\/pdf","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"similarity-checking"}],"deposited":{"date-parts":[[2024,6,28]],"date-time":"2024-06-28T17:02:19Z","timestamp":1719594139000},"score":1,"resource":{"primary":{"URL":"https:\/\/link.springer.com\/10.1007\/s00146-022-01561-5"}},"subtitle":[],"short-title":[],"issued":{"date-parts":[[2022,10,15]]},"references-count":40,"journal-issue":{"issue":"3","published-print":{"date-parts":[[2024,6]]}},"alternative-id":["1561"],"URL":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1007\/s00146-022-01561-5","relation":{},"ISSN":["0951-5666","1435-5655"],"issn-type":[{"value":"0951-5666","type":"print"},{"value":"1435-5655","type":"electronic"}],"subject":[],"published":{"date-parts":[[2022,10,15]]},"assertion":[{"value":"7 March 2022","order":1,"name":"received","label":"Received","group":{"name":"ArticleHistory","label":"Article History"}},{"value":"12 September 2022","order":2,"name":"accepted","label":"Accepted","group":{"name":"ArticleHistory","label":"Article History"}},{"value":"15 October 2022","order":3,"name":"first_online","label":"First Online","group":{"name":"ArticleHistory","label":"Article History"}},{"order":1,"name":"Ethics","group":{"name":"EthicsHeading","label":"Declarations"}},{"value":"The authors have no financial or proprietary interests in any material discussed in this article.","order":2,"name":"Ethics","group":{"name":"EthicsHeading","label":"Conflict of interest"}},{"value":"A draft version of the conceptual section of this contribution has been self-published online on non-commercial and academic sites as a working paper (without peer-review).","order":3,"name":"Ethics","group":{"name":"EthicsHeading","label":"Disclosure"}},{"value":"The data analysed for the current study are available from the sources included in the Appendix.","order":4,"name":"Ethics","group":{"name":"EthicsHeading","label":"Data availability"}}]}}