Mesa proposes free AI training for residents, rolls out staff program
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Summary
City staff presented a plan to offer free AI training to Mesa and Maricopa County residents through the Mesa Public Library and to train city employees via the iLearn system; staff said the program will use existing budgets, emphasize safety and privacy, and launch for residents in about 2–3 months.
Scott Conn, Mesa’s chief information officer and IT director, told the council on Feb. 9 that the city plans to offer free artificial-intelligence training to Mesa residents and to accelerate staff training using existing budgets and systems. The program will combine curated LinkedIn Learning tracks, in‑person library programs and internal iLearn courses for employees, with an online e-card sign-up for residents.
"This group here has figured out how to make that happen," Conn said, describing a cross‑departmental effort that includes the library and the city’s Department of Innovation and Technology. Conn noted the city’s in‑house AI chatbot was recently recognized with a global Smart 20 award, and said the training is intended to increase productivity while avoiding high‑cost, low‑value AI expenditures.
Polly Bonnet, director of Mesa Public Library, said the resident program will target adult learners — entrepreneurs, job seekers and seniors — using curated, self‑paced tracks and in‑person workshops at library locations. She said residents will be able to obtain an e‑card online immediately and that the library will launch a citywide campaign in about 2–3 months. "These are courses that are geared toward adult learners," Bonnet said, adding that courses will be available for beginners through advanced learners.
Harry Meyer, deputy CIO, described a yearlong "AI sandbox" that tested tools with about 50 early adopters across departments and informed course tracks for employees. Meyer said the staff rollout will begin within about a month and that employee assignments and completion will be tracked in the city's iLearn system. "We want to make sure that the humans are in the loop," Meyer said, noting safeguards for accuracy, privacy and data protection.
On privacy and monitoring, staff said public use will be anonymous while staff training and use of enterprise tools will be tracked. Council member Taylor asked whether prompts, common questions or other usage data would be monitored to refine training; staff replied that public prompts will not be collected for monitoring but that staff use cases, course completion and satisfaction surveys will be tracked internally so training can be improved.
Staff also said the initiative will engage the state’s AI committee to watch for potential regulations and to align city practice with emerging state guidance. The council asked to receive follow‑up data about participation and outcomes after launch.
The city did not ask for additional funding; staff said the program will be delivered with existing budgets and subscriptions. Staff cited LinkedIn Learning as the training platform (staff referenced figures ranging from "over 100" to more than 1,000–1,600 courses during the presentation). The council encouraged staff to return with participation metrics and use‑case outcomes after the initial rollouts.
