On October 15, 2025, the Institute of the Information Society of the Ludovika University of Public Service held a workshop discussion entitled Artificial Intelligence in Public Procurement.
The use of artificial intelligence in public procurement procedures offers significant advantages for bidders, contracting authorities, and even auditors. The main advantages of its use are fast data processing and decision support. By adopting artificial intelligence early on, the public sector can lead the way in the safe, reliable, and sustainable use of this technology. There is significant untapped potential in the spread of AI in public procurement, which could even transform public procurement processes in the future.
Four researchers and experts involved in the topic gave presentations at the workshop discussion:
– Dóra Ripszám, Research Fellow (LUPS IIS): The connections between AI and public procurement
– Gabriella Dajka, Senior Public Procurement Expert (MVMS Zrt.): AI-based decision support in public procurement
– Tünde Tátrai, Professor (Corvinus University of Budapest): Big data and AI in public procurement
– Gábor Meiszterics, IT systems engineer and application architect (Public Procurement Authority of Hungary, IT Department): AI Compliance – Practical and technological limitations of compliance
Dóra Ripszám presented the challenges associated with the procurement of artificial intelligence, as well as the possibilities for using AI as a helpful tool in various procedural steps during the public procurement process. She then illustrated the issues of time savings and accuracy using a bid compiled with the help of an AI-based tool.
According to Gabriella Dajka, artificial intelligence can be helpful in public procurement procedures, but it cannot replace professionals. In addition to creating the appropriate legal environment, it is important to establish internal rules and personal responsibility. She also pointed out that the use of AI raises a number of data protection issues, such as: what data can the user provide? What can they ask? What can they use?
Tünde Tátrai focused her presentation on data analysis and data processing. She emphasized that structured data leads to better results. She pointed out that with large amounts of data, AI may not identify anomalies that an expert can easily detect based on their experience. She also drew attention to the report on the evaluation of the Public Procurement Directives published by the European Commission, which is based in part on an analysis of big data.
In his presentation, Gábor Meiszterics said that explainability, transparency, and accountability are essential for proper artificial intelligence. However, human supervision is still indispensable for all this to happen.
The experts all agreed that artificial intelligence can be helpful throughout the entire public procurement process, both for bidders and contracting authorities, as well as for auditors. However, it is also important to pay attention to its downsides. Giving the right instructions is particularly important. Human supervision and expert control are essential.
The workshop discussion was organized with the support of the Ministry of Culture and Innovation's National Research, Development and Innovation Fund under project number TKP2021-NKTA-51, financed by the TKP2021-NKTA grant program.