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From Tool Embeddedness to Value Symbiosis: Opportunities and Practical Challenges of Grassroots Governance Innovation in the Data Intelligent Era

Xiuying Li
Vol. 6, No. 10, pp. 8-17, 2026 DOI: 10.54691/b0cknt05 October 19, 2026
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Abstract.Against the backdrop of the in depth advancement of the Digital China strategy and the accelerated iteration of new generation information technologies, data intelligent technologies are reshaping the forms, structures and logics of grassroots governance. This paper systematically analyzes the innovation opportunities for grassroots governance in the data intelligent era: the transformation of decision making models from experience driven to data driven, the upgrading of governance systems from fragmented governance to holistic governance, the leap in governance capacity from passive response to proactive prevention, as well as practical breakthroughs in improving service efficiency and reducing the burden on grassroots authorities. Nevertheless, technological embeddedness does not bring about one sided empowerment. In practice, multiple structural tensions have emerged, including technological suspension and efficiency paradox, digital formalism and the alienation of trace oriented management, bureaucratic inertia and organizational adaptation dilemmas, digital divide and equity challenges, alongside data security and ethical risks. These challenges stem from deep seated contradictions between technological logic and governance logic, between technical systems and institutional systems, and between instrumental rationality and value rationality. To tackle the above mentioned dilemmas, we must transcend the binary opposition between “technological determinism” and “social determinism”, pursue the organic integration of technological adaptation, institutional coordination and cultural adjustment, and build a new ecosystem for grassroots governance centered on people, which balances data intelligent empowerment and humanistic care. This paper puts forward optimization paths: adhering to demand orientation to realize precise alignment between technological embeddedness and governance needs; advancing institutional supply to strengthen the rule of law guarantee and organizational reconstruction for digital transformation; bridging the digital divide to safeguard fundamental rights and service accessibility for vulnerable groups; improving the data governance system to consolidate the bottom line of security and ethics; fostering digital literacy and building an actor network for multi party collaborative governance.
Keywords. Data intelligent Era; Grassroots Governance; Digital Empowerment; Technological Paradox; Governance Modernization.
APA Citation Xiuying Li (2026). From Tool Embeddedness to Value Symbiosis: Opportunities and Practical Challenges of Grassroots Governance Innovation in the Data Intelligent Era. Frontiers in Humanities and Social Sciences, 6(10), 8-17. https://doi.org/10.54691/b0cknt05

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