Get Ready for the AI Revolution in 2023: How City Governments Can Harness the Power of AI

Artificial Intelligence (AI) is set to take the world by storm in 2023 and beyond. With AI models rapidly finding their way into various applications, it’s crucial for city governments to be proactive rather than reactive when it comes to embracing this technology. I am of the strong view that AI will not replace ‘humans’ but augment our tasks making us better ‘people.’ By ensuring that AI serves residents and is used for public service, city officials can harness its potential while prioritizing transparency, accountability, fairness, and ethical use.

What exactly is AI? It’s a set of innovative technologies that leverage vast amounts of data and machine-learning techniques to generate content based on user prompts. Whether it’s written content (like ChatGPT or Bard) or visual content (like Dall-E), these AI tools are continuously evolving and the subject of ongoing research. It’s important to note that they aren’t actual human-like intelligence, but rather sophisticated models that predict what the language, text, or video should be based on the given prompt.

The applications of AI are endless. From drafting memos and job descriptions to summarize text, translating content, and even running predictive models, AI can streamline processes and break down data silos. It’s a powerful tool, but it also comes with risks and challenges. That’s why it’s crucial for city governments to follow a set of principles and best practices when deploying and managing AI technologies like ChatGPT.

Here are six key principles that cities may consider:

1. Transparency: Make AI systems transparent by providing clear explanations of how they work and arrive at their decisions. Accountability is key.
2. Data Privacy and Security: Safeguard personal information and ensure the secure handling of data used by AI systems. Protect individual privacy rights.
3. Fairness and Non-Discrimination: Regularly monitor AI systems for biases and take corrective actions to ensure they do not discriminate against individuals or groups.
4. Human Oversight and Control: Maintain human oversight over AI systems to prevent concentration of power. Humans should be able to intervene, override, or modify AI decisions.
5. Ethical Considerations: Take into account social, cultural, and ethical implications of AI. Adhere to established ethical guidelines and principles.
6. Public Engagement and Collaboration: Involve various stakeholders, including community organizations and impacted individuals, in decision-making processes regarding AI. Diverse perspectives should be considered.

In addition to these principles, it’s crucial to incorporate values like empowerment, inclusion and respect, transparency and accountability, innovation and risk management, privacy and security, and public purpose into city policies and guidelines. These values should guide the use of AI tools.

When it comes to practical guidelines for AI usage, there are several key points to keep in mind:

1. Fact-check and review all AI-generated content, especially for public communication or decision-making. Don’t rely solely on AI for accuracy.
2. Disclose when content has been created using AI and provide information about the version and type of model used. Transparency builds trust.
3. Avoid sharing confidential information in AI prompts. It’s important to protect sensitive data.
4. Be aware that data used in generative AI may be shared with the companies behind these systems, potentially compromising confidentiality. Provision of secure resources for applications requiring sensitive information.

For specific use cases like drafting documents, it’s advisable to use AI to get started but always verify and review the content. Specify the context and format preferences in the prompt, but never include confidential information. Similarly, when using AI to draft content in plain language or other languages, ensure that the generated text is reviewed for inclusivity and respect.

It’s worth noting that these guidelines are based on the City of Boston’s Interim Guidelines for Using Generative AI Version 1.1 and can be adapted to suit different city contexts. As AI technology advances and our understanding of its implications deepens, these guidelines may evolve. City officials and policymakers should engage in ongoing discussions, consult experts in the field, and continuously improve their policies and regulations to ensure responsible AI deployment.

The AI revolution is here, and cities have a unique opportunity to harness its power for the benefit of their residents. By following these guidelines and staying informed, city governments can pave the way for a future where AI serves as a valuable tool while upholding transparency, accountability, and the public interest. Let’s embrace AI responsibly and shape a better future together. Feel free to reach out with any questions or feedback.