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Staff warns of automated public-records requests and AI-driven inquiry activity
Summary
Staff told the commission that some public-records requests appear to be auto-generated by bots and that software and AI tools are being explored to triage requests and reduce staff time spent on repetitive or automated queries.
Staff reported that at a recent conference she learned of bots that automatically generate public-records requests and then follow up with additional queries; she said the town is receiving increased volumes of such requests and must still process them and apply redactions where required. Staff noted that some software vendors now offer tools to identify likely bot-generated requests and to use AI to triage or pre-answer certain requests, but redaction and legal review will still be necessary in many cases.
Commission discussion observed that the existing public-records process remains in effect and that requests requiring review by the town engineer or town attorney will be charged as contracted amounts rather than flat rates. The commission did not change record-production policy at this meeting but acknowledged the operational burden and the potential for new software tools to assist.
