More cities around the country are using artificial intelligence (AI) to enhance the way their staff works. While AI can make for powerful tools, it also carries risks. Cities should think about adopting policies governing the city’s use of AI tools and making sure that they are being used effectively, responsibly, and ethically. One resource to help cities develop their own AI governance policies is NLC’s new City AI Dashboard.

The City AI Dashboard lets users easily explore other cities’ AI governance plans and policies. The dashboard also measures each city’s against six core AI governance principles:

• Transparency: Making sure AI system operators, like cities, are responsible for outcomes related to the use of AI technology, like ensuring mechanisms for tracking, auditing, addressing issues of adverse effects, and misconduct.
• Accountability: Making sure processes, decisions and outcomes of AI systems are made available and understandable to the public.
• Education and training: Training should be provided to educate employees on AI ethics and use, and training should be adapted to emerging applications of the technology over time.
• Privacy protection: Protecting individuals’ personal data from unauthorized use, and compliance with data protection existing laws, regulations and practices. Sensitive information should not be shared with open AI systems.
• Fairness and equity: Mitigating any discrimination and biased outcomes of AI use, and promoting equal access to AI’s benefits.
• Safety and security: Implementing safeguards to ensure AI systems perform as intended and protecting from cyber-attacks and other malicious activities. Including contingency planning for potential failures or adverse scenarios involving AI technology.

So far, only a handful of cities are included in the dashboard, including Seattle. However, the dashboard will be updated quarterly by NLC and will expand as more cities adopt AI governance policies of their own.