County IT staff offers draft AI policy; commissioners ask for time to review samples

A county staff member identified as Daryl told the commissioners he attended a Texas Association of Counties technology conference and drafted an AI policy using sample language from other counties. He said TAC recommended that every county adopt an AI policy and that he had combined parts of Harris County’s longer policy and Kerr County’s one-page policy into a middle-length draft for Cook County. Daryl summarized the proposal’s main points: county AI tools should not be used to automate decisions that require human judgment (for example, hiring or firing); employees must not enter confidential or legally protected information into public AI tools (examples given: CJIS, HIPAA); and documents produced by AI that will be distributed publicly should note the use of AI and be produced from county accounts where feasible to preserve public-records handling. He also recommended training for staff and department oversight where adoption occurs. Commissioners had no objection to circulating the draft; one commissioner asked Daryl to send Kerr and Harris County policy samples to the court. Daryl said the policy would not create immediate staffing or budget impacts and that adoption could be delayed while the court reviewed the samples. No formal vote or policy adoption occurred; the item was informational and will be returned to a future court after commissioners have reviewed sample policies.