TO: HONORABLE MAYOR
AND CITY COUNCIL
FROM: Khaled Tawfik
SUBJECT: See Below DATE: October 22, 2024
Approved Date:
10/22/2024
S
UBJECT: City AI Initiatives and GovAI Coalition Summit Study Session PU
RPOSE
T
o provide the City Council with information regarding City initiatives related to artificial intelligence (AI), the City’s community efforts for upskilling AI programs in collaboration with San José State University, national efforts through the GovAI Coalition, and the GovAI Coalition Summit occurring December 4 - 6, 2024, in Downtown San José.
O
UTCOME
T
he City Council will establish a common understanding of the City’s role in AI for the public good and its ability to enhance government services.
BACKG
ROUND
S
an José is recognized as a central hub for AI innovation, hosting some of the world’s largest technology companies and universities. This advantageous position allowed the City to take a leading role in the development and implementation of responsible AI practices. The collaborative efforts of the Administration’s leadership team, education institutions, businesses, and communities have been instrumental in promoting a balanced approach to AI, ensuring its effective and responsible use within the City.
In t
he fall of 2023, San José made a significant stride by releasing its first AI guidelines.
This pioneering move positioned the City as one of the first to establish such guidelines, setting a precedent for others to follow. The release of these guidelines also acted as a catalyst for the formation of the GovAI Coalition, an initiative aimed at promoting responsible and effective AI usage not only in San José but also across the country.
This coalition brings together various stakeholders to ensure that AI technologies are developed and deployed in ways that are ethical, transparent, and beneficial to all communities.
STUDY SESSION: 10/25/2024
FILE: 24-2148
HONORABLE MAYOR AND CITY COUNCIL
October 22, 2024
Subject: City AI Initiatives and GovAI Coalition Summit Study Session
Founded by the City and six other agencies, the GovAI Coalition is comprised of over 1,000 members from over 350 local, state, and federal agencies collaborating to harness the potential of AI for the public good. The Coalition provides support to agencies, pools resources, demonstrates successes, and influences the development and adoption of responsible, human-centered AI.
ANALYSIS
The Study Session will cover the following topics:
1. What is AI? Provide an overview of AI and the different ways it is used.
2. Laying the Foundation for Responsible AI. Share the possibilities for the responsible use of AI to support San José, including partnerships with San José State University.
3. Gaining Value from AI in the City. Share how the City is exploring AI tools for more efficient and accessible services, including automated translation (e.g., for City Council meetings), road safety object detection (e.g., detecting illegal dumping in a bike lane), and document drafting (e.g., drafting memoranda and solicitations).
4. Support in AI from the City and Beyond.
a. City’s Role in the GovAI Coalition: Share the City’s role in the GovAI Coalition, a group of over 350 local, state, and federal agencies sharing best practices for responsible AI, resources to improve AI systems (e.g., translation), and learning to differentiate hype from useful AI tools. The collaboration has allowed the City and other agencies to steer global AI development towards transparency and the public good.
b. The GovAI Coalition Summit: The City will be hosting the GovAI Coalition’s inaugural summit at the San Jose McEnery Convention Center from December 4 to December 6, 2024, dedicating December 6 for government-only staff at City Hall. The summit will convene elected officials and their agencies’ staffs to set the public sector’s Responsible AI Agenda for the future. It will cover promising AI use cases, data and AI governance, effective partnerships, public engagement around AI, and the future of innovation beyond AI.
/s/
KHALED TAWFIK
Chief Information Officer and Director of
Information Technology
For questions, please contact Khaled Tawfik, Chief Information Officer and Director of the Information Technology Department, at [email protected].