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Staff say AI tools are in regular use; committee urges human review and periodic check-ins
Summary
City staff reported regular, limited-seat use of AI tools such as ChatGPT and Microsoft Copilot for drafting and analysis; the committee emphasized human review of outputs and agreed to monitor usage quarterly and follow state guidance on AI principles.
City staff told the Ways & Means committee that AI-based tools are being used across departments for drafting and document checks, and the committee discussed next steps for oversight and record-keeping.
"We use it every single day," Douglas, a city staff member, said of the AI subscription that several staffers have. He and other staff described using AI for proposal reviews, draft checks and standardization tasks such as trimming and formatting departmental reports.
Members raised questions about FOIA and records requests for AI inputs. Douglas said staff had seen requests for AI inputs through FOIA and noted uncertainty about whether inputs to AI constitute public records; staff said state guidance and principles for agencies exist and that the city would follow any applicable guidance. Committee members emphasized that AI output must be reviewed by staff: "As long as there's eyeballs looking at it, not just taking it for as gospel," one council member said.
The committee asked staff to monitor AI use and report back quarterly on practices, limits on paid seats, and any recommended policies to ensure accuracy and compliance with public-records rules.
