Along with public safety, budget, health, environmental, and other policy challenges, local governments now face the question of how to address the new and constantly evolving effects of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and the adjacent explosive growth of data centers to power AI. The Ypsilanti City Council invited STPP Managing Director Molly Kleinman to share her expertise in this area and suggest a path forward. Kleinman provided the Council with an overview of the common types of AI in use today, how it can be useful to local governments, and common concerns about its use. She also offered to be a resource as they balance the hype of AI with drawbacks and limitations of the tools.
“AI tools can be very useful,” Kleinman said. “But there are valid concerns around civil rights, privacy, transparency, environmental and resource management, labor, misinformation, and accountability, among others.”
In response to the Council’s concerns with a new data center being built in Ypsilanti Township, Kleinman advised the policymakers to “start with the principles of providing equitable services to the residents of Ypsilanti, and then move to procedures to address the changing landscape of AI.”
Kleinman also shared a recent publication from STPP, Artificial Intelligence Handbook for Local Governments, which provides concrete guidelines, best practices, sample applications, and risk assessment strategies that can help kickstart safe and effective AI adoption in local government.
While local government regulation of AI may be difficult, “There are other ways that local policymakers can have an impact,” said Kleinman. One way is by enforcing zoning restrictions, which can be difficult, or making sure that costs of data centers (such as those related to expanding energy infrastructure to power the centers) are not passed on to constituents, which is more likely to be successful. They can also make careful decisions about what AI tools they use or buy.
“I was pleased to be invited to speak with local policymakers,” said Kleinman. “It was a great chance to see how cities are grappling with AI and to get first-hand questions about their concerns about AI. Local governments have an important role to play, especially considering the real absence of federal leadership on this issue.”
Resources from STPP are available on these issues:
- Artificial Intelligence Handbook for Local Governments provides concrete guidelines, best practices, sample applications, and risk assessment strategies that can help kickstart safe and effective AI adoption in local government.
Watch the council meeting: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3DJcULC4uVs
