The City Council in Albuquerque, N.M., passed a resolution Monday calling for the establishment of an artificial intelligence working group to lead in policy development.
Local governments around the nation are already implementing AI technology, but in doing so responsibly, the establishment of clear governance plays a crucial role.
The newly passed resolution, R-24-81, commits to using Department of Technology and Innovation (DTI) funding to support this work. It was co-sponsored by District 7 City Councilor Tammy Fiebelkorn and District 8 City Councilor Dan Champine.
“Our intent here is to initiate a collaboration that allows experts and local stakeholders to create an AI policy framework that promotes technical innovation while maintaining high ethical standards,” Champine said in a statement.
The working group will be staffed by DTI and include city employees and community stakeholders as members. As per the resolution, staff should represent the following city entities: the City Council Services Department, the Mayor’s and City Clerk’s offices, the Albuquerque Police Department’s Real Time Crime Center, the General Services Department’s Energy and Sustainability Management Division, the Human Resources and Legal departments, the Office of Equity and Inclusion, the Planning Department’s Albuquerque Geographic Information Systems Division, and the Department of Finance and Administrative Services’ Purchasing Division.
The resolution also calls for including stakeholders from specific community and stakeholder entities in the working group, including the Albuquerque Police Officers’ Association and the city’s Information Services Committee. The working group will also include community members, civil rights advocates, and people who are involved with AI policy research and development at the state level in New Mexico.
The city’s overarching AI policy will be developed collaboratively. DTI has started developing internal policies to guide AI use by city departments, and DTI has submitted a draft policy to the Technical Review Committee. The working group is expected to expand upon this draft.
The resolution acknowledges AI is already in use in certain city departments, including DTI and Albuquerque Fire Rescue, where it helps increase operational efficiencies. Other departments are now exploring potential AI use cases. The resolution also directs the working group to compile a report inventorying current city department AI uses.
The working group will be expected to provide training to city staff and the public on effectively using AI, and it must also do a cost analysis for using AI applications.
DTI is directed to submit a report on AI policy to the City Council president within nine months of the resolution’s enactment.
“By establishing this AI working group, the city of Albuquerque is taking important steps toward developing a policy that harnesses the benefits of AI for our community while protecting against potential dangers,” Fiebelkorn said in a statement.
