INTERNATIONAL EXPERIENCE IN APPLYING ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE IN THE ECONOMIC AND MANAGEMENT SECTORS: CASE STUDIES OF THE USA, SINGAPORE, SOUTH KOREA, AND ESTONIA

Abstract

Artificial intelligence (AI) has rapidly evolved from a narrow research field into a general-purpose technology reshaping productivity, competitiveness, and the organization of public administration. This article examines the international experience of applying AI in the economic and management sectors through four distinctive case studies: the United States, Singapore, South Korea, and Estonia. Each of these economies has pursued a different model of AI deployment, reflecting its size, industrial structure, administrative tradition, and strategic priorities. The United States represents a market-driven, private-sector-led ecosystem with the deepest pool of capital and frontier research. Singapore illustrates a compact, centrally orchestrated "whole-of-economy" strategy anchored in strong governance and talent cultivation. South Korea has anchored its approach in industrial AI, using manufacturing transformation and sovereign computing capacity to offset demographic decline. Estonia exemplifies the full integration of AI into e-government and public-service delivery, building on more than two decades of digital statehood. The article compares policy frameworks, flagship initiatives, adoption indicators, and governance arrangements, and draws conclusions relevant to other economies seeking to harness AI for sustainable growth and public-sector modernization.