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Council orders hearing on artificial intelligence use in city government
Summary
Councilor Durkin filed an order for a hearing to examine how the City of Boston can use artificial intelligence to improve services while protecting privacy, worker rights and fairness; the docket was referred to the City Services & Innovation Technology committee.
Councilor Durkin filed docket 0692 on March 31, an order requesting a hearing to explore how artificial intelligence (AI) can be deployed to improve Boston’s city services while safeguarding transparency, fairness and workers’ interests.
Durkin said cities worldwide are piloting use cases that range from smart traffic signals to public‑health surveillance and that Boston must balance innovation with protections against bias and surveillance. She noted Boston’s interim generative AI guidelines, which emphasize human review and transparency, and said she had discussed AI adaptation with Chief Garces and other city officials ahead of filing the hearing order.
Durkin emphasized workforce implications and urged inclusion of city unions in any discussions because employees will be affected by AI adoption. She also referenced research partnerships at local universities and invited a broad stakeholder conversation.
The council added the order to the record and referred docket 0692 to the Committee on City Services and Innovation Technology for scheduling, with a list of original cosponsors recorded on the docket.
Why it matters: the filing signals the council’s desire to address both opportunity and risk in AI rapidly. Councilor Durkin said the order was informed by local research capacity and existing city guidance; she said the goal is to coordinate policy, privacy safeguards and workforce protections before large‑scale deployments.
What’s next: docket 0692 will be scheduled for a hearing in the City Services and Innovation Technology committee, which the council expects to invite city IT staff, union representatives, academic researchers and community advocates.
