COG hosts regional AI workshop, explores opportunities and risks

On September 10, the Council of Governments hosted a first-of-its kind AI in Local Government Workshop, convening more than 100 elected officials, IT directors, and other leaders from the District of Columbia, Maryland, Virginia, and beyond to explore how artificial intelligence is improving public services today and where policy is headed.

The event was timely given that local jurisdictions are beginning to use or experiment with AI in a number of ways from supporting non-emergency 911 calls to using intelligent chatbots to help residents 24/7 through county websites.

Following morning sessions with representatives from Palo Alto Networks and Peregrine focused on how AI can enhance cybersecurity and public safety, the Board of Directors meeting commenced, moderated by Joe Paul, founder of OptimaNOVA AI. He began with an overview of AI's value in public service automation, data-driven decision making, and enhanced citizen engagement.

Throughout the day, COG Board members discussed the opportunities for regional cooperation, including sharing best practices, piloting low-risk AI applications, and preparing the workforce for technological change.

Speakers and participants also addressed pressing challenges, including misinformation and disinformation in elections, liability concerns for biased outputs, and the rapid rise of data centers straining local infrastructure. They underscored the importance of intergovernmental collaboration and the need for international standards akin to a "Geneva Convention for AI."

COG Board Chair Rodney Lusk discusses AI developments with FOX 5

The view from Congress

U.S. Congressman Don Beyer of Virginia, Co-Chair of the bipartisan AI Caucus, shared federal updates and his perspective on rapidly evolving technologies. Beyer highlighted AI's role in healthcare including AI scribes that save doctors time and touted advancements in diagnostics, stating "AI imaging has made breakthroughs on diagnosing breast cancer, lung cancer, and pancreatic cancer." On the other hand, he stressed that officials must make workforce development a priority given AI's potential to displace as many as 1.5 million workers nationwide over the next five years

Beyer also discussed new legislation addressing transparency, oversight, and risks, including restrictions on AI-generated images and political advertising.

The Congressman highlighted the establishment of The Center for AI Standards and Innovation (CAISI) at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), which developed voluntary AI standards, assessing cybersecurity risks and best practices, as well as acting as a liaison to coordinate AI use between different agencies and levels of governments. Beyer concluded his presentation stating, "I'm extraordinarily excited about what AI is going to mean for our lives, but at the same time, we want be aware and cautious about the massive changes that could disrupt our lives."

Strategies for implementing AI

The National Association of Counties (NACo) presented efforts to help counties navigate AI adoption responsibly. NACo's Seamus Dowdall and Chief Information Officer Rita Reynolds outlined their AI Toolkit and County Compass resources, which provide local governments with a framework around ethics, applications, and workforce development.

Reynolds emphasized that counties are at different stages of implementation, but that AI has the potential to improve service delivery, optimize operations, and strengthen digital literacy. "AI represents a digital transformation for local government," Dowdall said. "By working together, we can mitigate risks while realizing the benefits for our communities."

Chuck Wemple, the Executive Director of COG's peer agency, the Houston-Galveston Area Council, shared his team's experience developing an AI initiative for their organization. He started by providing a safe space to experiment, which he dubbed the "parking lot."

Chuck Wemple, Executive Director for the Houston-Galveston Area Council shares how his council has adopted AI into their organization

After a month, staff were then asked to think about how AI could support their work. Over the next year and a half, they'll consider using AI for internal and external chatbots, document optimization, and data prediction.

Wemple recounted lessons learned in the workplace but also took the time to highlight success stories and inventive ideas. For instance, one team came up with the idea of using AI to scan city and county government meeting agendas. The result? Fewer missed items and more proactive engagement with their member governments. Another team that works on land use and transportation modeling uses AI tools to gather and clean up data, allowing them to spend more time analyzing it.

But some employees did not wish to adopt AI or were concerned about its environmental and creative impacts, Wemple said. That's why they've placed some restrictions on its usage and considered where it makes sense and where it doesn't.

AI experience in the COG region

For the final panel, regional experts shared their thoughts on AI best practices. Bryan Hill, Fairfax County Executive, moderated the discussion with Stephen Miller, District of Columbia Chief Technology Officer; Vanetta Pledger, City of Alexandria Chief Information Officer and member of the NLC AI Advisory Committee; Gail Roper, Montgomery County Chief Information Officer; and Nate Wentland, Loudoun County Chief Information Officer.

Panelists provide reflections from local government: Nate Wentland, Loudoun County Chief Information Officer; Gail Roper, Montgomery County Chief Information Officer; Vanetta Pledger, City of Alexandria Chief Information Officer; Stephen Miller, District of Columbia Chief Technology Officer; and moderator, Bryan Hill, Fairfax County Executive.

A prominent concern surrounding AI is privacy, noted Hill, given that models learn from operational data. In response, Roper said her organization spent a lot of time tracking and classifying their data, as well as taking steps to keep it off the internet. Additionally, they use tools that provide insight into how employees are using AI to interact with their data, she said.

Data quality was a common thread throughout the panel. Wentland talked about Loudoun County's emphasis on having a strong data use policy over an AI-specific policy. Panelists agreed that AI outputs can only be as strong as the data inputs are.

Hill posed the question, "How do you quality check your AI policies before implementing them?" The responses ranged from advisory boards to task forces to user groups, all reflecting the need for checks and balances. These groups include disability rights experts, legal specialists, public safety officials, and those able to offer an outside perspective.

The panel also discussed the importance of grounding the utilization of AI in actual use cases.

We're big on public engagement and transparency, said Miller. If the feedback tells us an AI tool is not creating a safer and more equitable benefit for residents, we won't go forward with it.

"Data has context. You need to have a human in the loop to provide that context and intuition about what the data means," explained Pledger. Panelists accepted that AI will inevitably change some jobs and that it's critical to invest in training the workforce on new skills.

Moving forward, COG plans to establish an AI workgroup among area officials and coordinate with individual localities that have requested assistance in thinking through their respective use. COG is also developing a roadmap to guide AI use for its own internal operations.

Participants share reflections from the workshop

MORE: View the livestream from the full Board meeting