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Commissioner Mark Preece steps away from transportation work group after AI-generated letter
Summary
Commissioner Mark Preece said he is stepping away from the transportation work group after discovering a work-group letter in the packet that he says was generated or altered with AI and circulated without group review; he also said the city’s transportation director, Darienne Nagle Gamm, was not included in that process.
Commissioner Mark Preece said he will step away from the transportation work group effective immediately after the group’s packet contained a letter he said had been generated or altered using artificial intelligence and submitted without group review. “I’m going to step away from the transportation work group, effective now,” Preece said, citing ethical concerns and the omission of the city’s transportation director from discussions.
The decision followed Preece’s account that a colleague (Jeremy) used AI to edit or produce a letter that was ultimately signed and included in the group packet even though other work-group members had not reviewed it. Preece said the city’s director of transportation, Darienne Nagle Gamm, who is familiar with the subject matter and grant processes, was not included and would have been an important participant. He told the commission that putting projects into the fiscal year 2027 budget at this stage would be nearly impossible and that he therefore would not recommend forwarding any transportation recommendations to city council. “No,” he said when asked whether he was recommending that the commission make any recommendations to city council.
Other commissioners responded by acknowledging the breakdown in inclusion and urging more human-centered processes. Commissioner Kelsey Paulshantz said she respected Preece’s decision and emphasized the need to preserve inclusive, human decisionmaking in community-focused work. Commissioners discussed concerns about AI’s role in grant and letter drafting and reiterated that future efforts should include relevant staff and stakeholders.
The commission did not take a formal vote on the issue during the meeting. Preece said he would step away from the transportation work group and requested that the director be included in future work; commissioners agreed to consider how to restore inclusive procedures and ensure key staff are consulted before documents are finalized.
