AI in Local Government: How Counties & Cities Are Advancing AI Governance

While much attention has been paid to the use of artificial intelligence by state and federal agencies, city and local governments also are increasingly using AI and should implement safeguards around public sector uses of these tools. City and county governments administer a wide range of public services that have significant impacts on individuals’ health and safety. AI systems can assist in increasing the efficiency and effectiveness of local governments’ provision of such services, but without proper guardrails these same tools can also harm constituents and impede the safe, dignified, and fair delivery of public services. To understand local trends, we analyzed public-facing policy documents from 21 cities and counties. Analysis of publicly available AI policies and guidance at the local level reveals five common trends in AI governance, in that these policies: 

• Draw from federal, state, and other local AI governance guidance;
• Emphasize that the use of AI should align with existing legal obligations;
• Identify and prioritize mitigation of risks, like bias, reliability, privacy, and security;
• Prioritize public transparency of AI uses; and
• Advance accountability and human oversight in decision-making that incorporates AI.