The article aims to provide a comparative analysis of determining the legal status of artificial intelligence, as well as strategic planning of its implementation in the public sector in the countries of the Romano-Germanic, Anglo-Saxon, socialist, religious, and traditional systems of law. The study replies to the research questions regarding statutory definition of AI, state authorities responsible for AI, national government strategy in the field of AI and targets set therein, and action plans of AI with reference to countries with the highest Global Talent Competitiveness Index in reference to the mentioned legal systems. The research is of qualitative and applied nature; theoretical analysis of academic sources provides the groundwork for ICT-facilitated thematic content analysis of legal and administrative documents of the mentioned countries. The findings reveal common and specific trends regarding the data under study, and allow the author to suggest a revision of AI definition and to specify legislative and doctrinal issues that seem to be relevant and promising in the further strategic development and implementation of AI in the public sphere across countries.