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Image courtesy of Adobe Stock (by Vadym)
While generative artificial intelligence (AI) applications have exploded over the last year, many have been regarded as a novelty or something to generate dad jokes. The reality is that generative AI is becoming increasingly used in the private – and public – sector to automate tasks, provide greater efficiency, and deliver higher-quality service.
And no, ChatGPT and generative AI were not used in the making of this article.
“Local governments across the United States are increasingly leveraging generative AI to address a variety of challenges and opportunities unique to their jurisdictions,” said Micah Gaudet, Maricopa, Arizona’s deputy city manager. Gaudet has devoted his personal time to exploring the world of generative AI.
Gaudet’s interest in using AI began after viewing a discussion online about ChatGPT.
“Initially, I experimented with it for personal use – crafting bedtime stories for my child and generating dad jokes,” Gaudet said. “However, it wasn’t long before I recognized its potential as a professional tool.”
Merriam-Webster defines generative AI as “artificial intelligence that is capable of generating new content in response to a submitted prompt by learning from a large reference database of examples.”
For Gaudet, generative AI refers to a cadre of applications from ChatGPT, Claude, and Bard to other predictive text features in word processing that “assist in automating tasks, streamlining administrative processes, and enhancing citizen engagement.”
While many look at generative AI as a gag, some are finding ways of harnessing its power. The key to harnessing generative AI for local governments, Gaudet believes, is strategic planning. “Local governments should first focus on what they need to do to deliver exceptional value and benefit to their community,” Gaudet said.
He compares generative AI to a car’s gas pedal: “The accelerator is a great tool if we are going in the right direction.”
In a video on his YouTube channel, Civic Innovation, Gaudet shows how local governments can use ChatGPT to evaluate a proposal. He interacts with the chatbot to fine-tune its analysis and show how to input prompts.
Gaudet also demonstrates how it can generate an executive summary, troubleshoot an emergency operations plan, write a LinkedIn post, utilize plugins to analyze a budget, create a human resources training video, draft ordinances, and analyze social media.
“Our biggest thing that we have used it on recently is the entire rewrite of our mobile home park ordinance,” John Weidl, Whitewater, Wisconsin’s city manager told City Manager Unfiltered podcast host Joe Turner on an episode about ChatGPT. “We used another community’s (ordinance) as a starting comparable and then inserted our own language in areas where we wanted things modified more to match our existing document.”
Weidl found that ChatGPT could foster teamwork by starting the ordinance drafting process and then departments can work together to fine-tune it.
Weber County, Utah County Clerk and Auditor Ricky Hatch uses ChatGPT to draft job descriptions and modernize transaction processing.
“It can do check runs instantaneously when that usually takes me 20 minutes and probably catches aberrations better than I could,” Hatch told the National Association of Counties’ (NACO) Charlie Ban. “It’s a good second set of eyes, but we’re not setting it loose to make decisions.”
While some cities are using the power of AI to streamline operational processes, others are using it to minimize traffic congestion and maximize road safety. Phoenix, Arizona, along with cities in 13 states, have turned to AI startup NoTraffic’s SaaS (software as a service) platform to solve these issues. NoTraffic installs sensors onto existing infrastructure on a variety of roadways and challenging intersections. These sensors collect data that is coupled with data from autonomous vehicles to determine an area’s vehicle and pedestrian movement.
The NoTraffic system predicts the path of vehicles and their impact on intersections, allowing cities to better manage traffic patterns. The system also promotes pedestrian safety by predicting when drivers may run red lights and when pedestrians may cross streets.
While one city may find success with a specific use of generative AI, another may not. “The limitations of using generative AI in the public sector are multifaceted and often specific to individual local governments,” Gaudet said.
He points out that legal constraints and state-specific privacy and public records laws could be a problem for the use of AI. Laws in one state might not be the same as in another state.
Concerns about AI’s applicability to local government have caught the eye of national associations. NACO has established an Artificial Intelligence Exploratory Committee to look at policies and practices for the use of generative AI in counties.
Also, issues of bias and inaccuracies could prove to be challenging. “Regardless of whether a document is manually drafted, collaboratively created, or AI-augmented, the individual or entity signing off on it must assume full responsibility for its content,” Gaudet said.
Generative AI can produce significant improvements in local government, but it comes with certain responsibilities. “Adopting AI should be a carefully considered decision, tailored to each local government’s specific needs and legal frameworks,” Gaudet said.
To support local government officials, Gaudet developed a course, Unlocking ChatGPT for the Public Sector, to guide those interested in using generative AI tools for municipal government functions. The eight-hour, self-paced online course comes with a library of prompts and resources that are tailored to governing locally.
“I’m not a tech guy, but I see immense value in generative AI,” Gaudet said. “My aim is to encourage local governments to thoughtfully integrate AI into their operations, not merely for the sake of efficiency, but to enhance the quality of services provided to their communities.”
Image source: Tristan Makaroff
Generative AI provides a chance to increase productivity, deliver higher-quality services, and renew public trust. “The future lies in leveraging this technology responsibly and effectively to bring about meaningful change where accountability and responsibility are embraced at the lowest possible levels in a public sector organization,” Gaudet said.
New advances in technology can cause disruption. Gaudet says it’s long overdue. “The future of local governments and generative AI is poised for transformative change,” Gaudet said. “The public sector, for too long, tolerated underperformance and mediocrity.”
Fears over AI replacing human jobs continue to be a concern but that is something he believes should be confronted. “If AI can serve as a catalyst to eliminate inefficiency and elevate the quality of work, then it should be wholeheartedly embraced.”
