Palm Desert City Council passes new AI policy
PALM DESERT, Calif. (KESQ) – UPDATE: 10/8: Palm Desert City Council approved a new policy Thursday in a 5-0 vote outlining how the city can use artificial intelligence and what safeguards would be required.
The proposed policy will classify AI uses as low, moderate or high risk, with different levels of oversight depending on how the technology is used. Examples include helping city employees draft documents, assisting residents through a website chatbot and tools that could influence decisions affecting people or businesses.
City Clerk Anthony Mejia says the city wants to protect its data and ensure higher-risk applications receive additional review. The city has already decided not to move forward with a proposed AI-assisted building plan review system because officials did not believe the technology was ready.
Now that the policy is approved, the city plans to create a public webpage listing approved AI tools and their uses.
The proposed policy also outlines safeguards for protecting city data and requires additional review for higher-risk AI applications. City officials say they want to use the technology to improve efficiency while ensuring its use is evaluated and monitored.
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