Abstract
AI holds significant potential for the future but also presents various risks. As global regulation of AI advances, with the European AI Act (AIA) leading the way, it prompts critical questions: How are organizations preparing for this imminent era of AI and its regulation? What methodological and conceptual tools can researchers utilize to understand AI-future-oriented work currently done within organizations? This paper investigates how public sector organizations (PSOs) in Finland are responding to the forthcoming AIA. We conducted interviews with 16 representatives from nine Finnish PSOs, uncovering four anticipation practices they employ to navigate uncertainties and carve their path amidst technological and regulatory shifts. Our theoretical contribution proposes practices of anticipation as a potent analytical framework, simultaneously grounded in current organizational realities while forward-looking. The implications for both practical application and future research are also discussed.
