Staff outlines internal uses and safeguards for municipal AI tools

City staff presented a high-level overview of how Highland Village is using and planning to use artificial intelligence across departments, stressing internal controls and training to reduce errors. The presenter said the city currently holds 26 ChatGPT licenses (paid at roughly $9,600 per year in total), 44 specialized police licenses for their "Blue Voice" product (about $6,500 per year), and two Otter.ai licenses (paid $385). "A lot of software already comes with some form of AI baked into it," the presenter told council, adding that staff have created a "document hub" sandbox that limits searches to uploaded city ordinances, budget books and other official materials.