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Innovation office outlines Gov AI pilot, urges coordinated AI governance across IT and council
Summary
The city’s Office of Innovation described a pilot of a government‑focused generative AI tool (Gov AI) and said the office will work with ITMD and the City Information Management Committee to develop rules and training. Council members sought clarity on governance, procurement, and who in city government should lead AI decisions.
The Office of Innovation told the Finance & Personnel Committee it is piloting a government‑focused generative AI tool and working with Information Technology Management Division (ITMD) and other departments to develop governance, training and deployment plans.
Jim Bull, director of the Office of Innovation, summarized the office’s work since June 2024 and said the office has spearheaded several administrative and legislative items and is now focused on pilot deployments of “Gov AI,” a government‑oriented generative AI system. Bull said planned uses include internal research, document summarization, and helper agents for specific processes; the office is also exploring an AI‑driven interactive voice response (IVR) system for after‑hours call handling and a chatbot pilot for the Unified Call Center (UCC).
Bull and budget staff said the Innovation Office requested a policy analyst position; councilors questioned whether that new analyst position was funded through a technical reallocation and whether ARPA or a vacant budget line was used for the hire. Council members asked for clarity on that personnel placement and for legislative reference to summarize how the position was authorized.
Alderman Scott Speicher and others pressed for firm governance: who would approve enterprise systems, who would ensure compliance with the city’s AI policy, and how the City Information Management Committee (CIMC) would be engaged. ITMD Director David Henke told the committee ITMD and Innovation are collaborating on an enterprise tool pilot, and he said ITMD is working on policy implementation, training and technical controls. Henke reported that the city has seen employee use of multiple public AI systems on the municipal network and that monitoring and clearer enterprise alternatives are needed.
Bull and Henke emphasized a two‑track approach: (1) adopt an enterprise, government‑oriented AI platform that offers controls and data protections; and (2) update policy, deploy staff training and establish committee oversight. Council members asked that CIMC be fully briefed before a procurement decision and requested a clear timetable and vendor‑comparison process for any enterprise AI purchase.
The committee did not vote on procurement or staffing at the hearing; members asked the innovation and IT teams to return with a timeline, a procurement plan tied to CIMC review, and documentation showing who will own ongoing governance and training.
