Cities Across The US Are Embracing AI Guidelines For Local Government Workers

While some states and the federal government take their time in considering how artificial intelligence can and should be used, municipalities across the U.S. have been forging their own way in making AI policies for their government employees.

“AI is generally useful,” Boston’s Chief Innovation Officer Santiago Garces said. “But it is a set of technologies that also carries unique risks that need to be considered. And I think that our employees are generally concerned about accuracy, privacy, security and intellectual property.”

Boston was among the first cities in the U.S. to make a set of guidelines for its employees, rolling out a document outlining the purpose of generative AI in government work, sample use cases, and a set of principles in May 2023.

Garces and his team watched the