April 11, 2025
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San Diego County seeks new coverage to manipulate use of AI
With synthetic intelligence already affecting practically each side of individuals's lives, San Diego County supervisors need a formal coverage that spells out how employees will use—or keep away from—the expertise.
The Board of Supervisors directed high county officers to check what coverage adjustments must be enacted to deal with AI because the machine-learning expertise pushes additional into on a regular basis life.
The county will begin with basic tips put ahead by a subcommittee chaired by Supervisor Joel Anderson over the previous six months, and it’ll develop a framework governing how AI can be employed throughout each side of county operations.
Amongst different issues, the brand new framework will spell out how the county will deploy AI and, extra particularly, how workers and constituents could be protected when it comes to private information, direct companies and labor agreements.
"AI applied sciences should be leveraged strategically to enhance service supply with out compromising fairness, privateness or public belief," Anderson instructed his board colleagues in a report earlier than the vote to maneuver ahead with the research.
"By implementing a governance framework, establishing an AI incident-response plan, enhancing vendor accountability and increasing workforce-education efforts, the county will guarantee accountable AI adoption that aligns with its strategic priorities," he added. "These measures will allow the county to stay on the forefront of technological developments whereas safeguarding the perfect pursuits of workers, residents and companies."
The concept was authorized on a 3-0 vote, with Supervisor Jim Desmond absent from the assembly.
Supervisor Terra Lawson-Remer sought and gained approval for the framework to satisfy particular standards asserted within the Blueprint for an AI Invoice of Rights adopted by the Biden administration in October 2022.
She additionally requested that the framework be introduced again to the board for follow-up consideration earlier than any doc is formally put into place.
"I really imagine AI holds a rare quantity of promise," Lawson-Remer mentioned earlier than casting her vote supporting the measure. "However we additionally know these highly effective instruments do carry dangers as effectively, with inaccurate or biased outputs which have led to civil rights being violated."
Supervisor Monica Montgomery Steppe mentioned she wished to verify the framework was developed in a way that included any considerations from individuals with disabilities in order that blind, deaf and different constituents had been protected.
"There are totally different improvements for that group specifically, so I simply wished to verify we’re together with them on this course of," she mentioned.
Synthetic intelligence is already disrupting quite a few sectors throughout society.
Generative AI platforms like ChatGPT, Google Gemini and Microsoft Copilot, amongst many others, scour reams of data revealed on-line courting again years to create textual content and different supplies in mere seconds.
Futurists and others imagine AI will disrupt just about each sector of society in methods even higher than the introduction of the web and private computer systems within the Nineties. However some specialists have warned of potential risks except the merchandise are safely regulated and managed.
A number of audio system urged county supervisors to watch out to guard workers and the general public with no matter coverage or framework they undertake.
"Using AI has promise and peril for our workforce and the companies we offer," mentioned David Lagstein, the political director of the Service Staff Worldwide Union Native 221, which represents hundreds of county workers.
"We’d like a coverage that may do no hurt, and this must be developed thoughtfully," he mentioned.
County employees had been directed to finish the pending evaluation in time for supervisors to contemplate including new necessities to the $1 billion information-technology contract that’s developing for renewal later this 12 months.
Anderson, who made it clear that he’s sad with the present stage of service offered by the present contractor, mentioned it’s critical that the county benefit from quickly enhancing expertise within the county's subsequent IT contract.
"It's actually going to offer individuals extra alternative than they’ve ever needed to take part in authorities," he mentioned. "It's $1 billion, and it's our future for the subsequent decade—so we now have received to get it proper."
2025 The San Diego Union-Tribune. Distributed by Tribune Content material Company, LLC.
Quotation: San Diego County seeks new coverage to manipulate use of AI (2025, April 11) retrieved 11 April 2025 from https://techxplore.com/information/2025-04-san-diego-county-policy-ai.html This doc is topic to copyright. Aside from any truthful dealing for the aim of personal research or analysis, no half could also be reproduced with out the written permission. The content material is offered for info functions solely.
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