With the proliferation of Artificial Intelligence technology in the modern world, Riverton City officials are giving their employees guidelines on how they use it. 

The city council unanimously approved the city’s AI policy in September. 

“We can see where it’s going to become a very important part of our operations,” City Attorney Ryan Carter told the council in August, particularly with the police department and any use of data analytics. “Really the challenge at this stage in our relationship with AI is coming up with the different means by which it can be used as an aid in our work.” 

A recent Ernst & Young survey of federal, state and local government employees found 51% use an AI application daily or several times a week. 

The creation of a city policy in this situation is unique, Carter said, noting regulations usually come after mistakes are made and then policies are created to improve operations. 

“This is an instance where we’re trying to get into a policy ahead of a whole lot of practice taking place,” he said. 

He also noted they were in the “nascent stages” and the AI policy will continue to evolve with additional iterations expected in the future. 

“This is what we’re going to start with and continue to work on it as we get feedback on how it’s being utilized,” Carter said. 

Primary guidelines involved all employees using AI as a tool rather than a substitute for their work product with Carter noting the utilization of AI does not give them a pass for problems found in their work. 

It will be monitored by the IT department, employees are expected to be trained and violations would result in discipline, Carter said. 

“The creation of original documents must be carefully monitored,” he said. 

One example he pointed to was their success in using AI to summarize large volumes of data. “Saves an enormous amount of time,” he said. 

They are also excited about using it for helping generate law enforcement reports and summarizing data from body worn cameras, though officers would be expected to review all reports before they are finished. 

“We want to make sure the person utilizing AI doesn’t abandon their role altogether,” he said. 

Councilmember Andy Pierucci, who asked about this when he first joined the council, thanked city staff for their work. 

“Look how fast this technology has moved,” he said. “I appreciate this, I think it sets guardrails but encourages innovation. It’ll allow us to innovate and increase efficiencies while protecting our residents’ civil liberties.”