The Integration of Artificial Intelligence in Local Governance
Artificial intelligence is rapidly permeating municipal government operations nationwide, facilitating the organization of service requests, the management of information, and the enhancement of communication with constituents.
“Initially, there was widespread enthusiasm, particularly among elected officials, to swiftly integrate these technologies, aiming for greater organizational efficiency and scalability,” remarked Chris Jordan, program manager for AI and innovation at the National League of Cities.
Jordan’s role involves guiding city leaders through the intricate landscape of AI development, revealing that such tools prove most effective in augmenting city services, bolstering employee productivity, and enabling municipalities to interpret their data effectively.
With an impressive 96% of mayors expressing a fervent interest in leveraging generative AI, Jordan noted that fostering public trust hinges on the establishment of clear, standardized protocols, including informed AI-specific privacy policies and transparent labeling of AI-generated content.
“Public forums or task forces may serve as viable avenues for cities addressing pervasive anxiety or skepticism surrounding certain technologies,” he added.
Some municipalities are advancing transparency initiatives. For instance, Lebanon, New Hampshire, maintains a public catalog of every AI application employed, whereas San Jose undertakes annual assessments to evaluate the impact of its algorithms on residents.
“Generally, constituents are keen on more expedient and effective municipal services that instill confidence in the stewardship of their tax contributions,” stated Joe Scheidler, who is developing Helios, an AI tool aimed at policy formulation.
Nevertheless, a significant barrier persists: the perception and reality that AI systems are prone to errors.
“Workforces exhibit a lack of trust in generative AI outputs in numerous contexts and sensitive applications. Thus, we have been meticulously focused on addressing issues related to hallucination, AI drift, and embedding verification, traceability, and provenance into the user experience,” Scheidler elaborated.
Despite these concerns, promising case studies are already surfacing. In Dearborn, Michigan, a translation bot is deployed to better serve non-English-speaking residents.
Washington is experimenting with an AI tool aimed at enhancing the search capabilities of its open-data portals. Meanwhile, Tucson’s water department in Arizona employs AI to forecast which pipes are at a heightened risk of failure before issues arise.
For residents eager to understand how their municipalities are integrating artificial intelligence, experts advise actively posing questions, attending civic meetings, and diligently observing the explanations provided regarding these tools.
Source link: Scrippsnews.com.
