Does a country’s energy security increase with advances in government AI readiness? An empirical panel study

This study investigates the Millennials and Gen Z perception toward Fintech services, their usage intention, and their financial behavior. The study took place in the Palestinian context with a global comparison among these generations. The authors used the questionnaire-based technique to meet the study objective. West Bank respondents were selected for this purpose; the study instrument was distributed through different social media channels. The findings show that reliability/trust and ease of use are the main issues in using a financial service. Millennials are more aware (48%) of Fintech services than Gen Z (38%), which is different from the global view where Gen Z is the highest. The smartphone penetration rate is 100% among both generations, while the financial inclusion ratio in Palestine is around 36.4%; these clear indicators are the main Fintech drivers to promote Fintech services in Palestine, and these are global indicators for Fintech adoption intention. Both generations (84%) intend to use e-wallet services, Millennials (87%) and Gen Z is (70%) prefer using real-time services. Half of the respondents see that Fintech plays a complementary role with banks. The majority see that Fintech services are cheaper than bank services. Wealth management, and robot advisor services, and both generations are looking to acquire them in the long run. The authors revealed that 85% of respondents from both generations trust banks, so it is recommended that banks digitize their financial services to meet the customers’ needs, considering that 90% of respondents see that promotions are a key issue in adopting Fintech services. Promoting e-wallet services by banks is highly recommended due to the massive rivalry with Fintech parties.

The rapid digital transformation of public systems has improved interactions between governments and citizens. In Morocco, while efforts to digitalize public administration continue, the integration of artificial intelligence presents new challenges due to structural and technical limitations. This study explores the openness of Moroccan civil servants to adopting artificial intelligence solutions and examines the role of change management in facilitating this process. A quantitative approach was employed, with 129 civil servants from key ministries – Education, Finance, and Health – completing an online questionnaire. These ministries were selected due to their critical importance in the public system and their frequent interactions with citizens. Furthermore, they played a central role in the National Administrative Reform Plan (2018–2022), which emphasized digital transformation as a key pillar in advancing e-government. The collected data were analyzed using SPSS, enabling a comprehensive analysis of the factors influencing AI adoption. The findings reveal that while younger civil servants are more open to AI, over 40% of respondents pointed to insufficient digital skills as a major barrier to artificial intelligence integration. The study underscores the importance of effective change management strategies, highlighting that strong leadership and clear communication are essential in promoting artificial intelligence receptiveness and ensuring seamless integration within Morocco’s public sector.

Along with the development of current economic patterns, digital platforms provide infrastructure to facilitate interaction between users. One example is a ride-hailing platform that allows interaction between users who may never have met. This study aims to determine the criteria, sub-criteria, and alternatives influencing users in choosing ride-hailing and map Gojek and Grab’s grand strategy to compete in the ASEAN market, especially in Indonesia, Thailand, Vietnam, and Singapore. This research uses a questionnaire to collect data, with 377 Gojek and Grab users as participants. The main criteria in each country were obtained using the Analytical Hierarchy Process (AHP) method with the Expert Choice tool. Safety, price, and usability were the main criteria for choosing a ride-hailing platform in Indonesia, Thailand, and Vietnam. In contrast, in Singapore, privacy emerged as the main criterion when choosing these platforms, in addition to safety. To increase competition in ASEAN, Gojek and Grab should improve customer relationship criteria, as these criteria can add value to the company. This research also shows that Grab dominates the ride-hailing market in Thailand, Vietnam, and Singapore because it implemented a horizontal strategy by acquiring Uber. Gojek only excels in its home country, Indonesia, by acquiring and innovating in integrating with the commuter line and launching an Initial Public Offering (IPO). This research found that there is still a need to improve vertical and horizontal strategies and outsourcing to compete effectively in the global market.