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Pacific Grove adopts citywide AI policy, asks staff for training and annual review
Summary
The council unanimously adopted a draft Artificial Intelligence policy to govern city use of AI tools, emphasizing human‑centered design, privacy, transparency and staff training; council directed staff to return with an annual review by July 1, 2027.
The Pacific Grove City Council on June 3 adopted a city policy to govern the purchase, deployment and oversight of artificial intelligence tools used by city departments.
Deputy City Manager Joyce Halib told the council the draft policy — adapted from a Government AI Coalition template and reviewed by the city attorney and the city's insurer (CJPIA) — establishes guiding principles: human‑centered design, security and safety, privacy protections, transparency, equity, accountability, effectiveness and workforce empowerment. Staff recommended the policy to ensure the city can harness AI benefits while managing risks.
Key provisions: The policy requires an AI review and documentation (an ‘‘AI fact sheet’’) before the city purchases or deploys an AI system that uses city data or impacts residents; it lists prohibited uses (for example, sensitive automated decision‑making), requires incident reporting procedures, and prohibits placing non‑public/confidential data into public AI tools. The policy also requires staff training and commits the city to transparency on a public web page listing AI tools in use.
Council concerns and direction: Members raised HR and recruitment risks (automated resume filtering), vendor accountability and potential liability when AI systems err, and the sustainability (energy) footprint of large AI models. Council asked staff to ensure contractors follow policy rules, to add appropriate disclaimers where AI outputs are used, and to return with an annual review; the council set July 1, 2027, as a target date for the first policy review.
Vote: The resolution adopting the AI policy passed unanimously.
Quotation: “We want to be careful about security, privacy and vendor accountability while also enabling staff to use AI tools to increase efficiency,” Deputy City Manager Joyce Halib told council members.
What happens next: Staff will finalize internal guidelines, conduct training for city employees, publish an AI transparency page and report back with an annual review by July 1, 2027.
