More than one hundred mayors arrived in Washington, D.C. this Wednesday to attend the roughly four-hour long Mayors Innovation Studio. Hosted by CityLab, part of Bloomberg Philanthropies, the event offered mayors a chance to examine how generative AI tools such as ChatGPT could be utilized to make their cities more effective. The session allowed attendees to observe how local governments are positioning themselves to become the earliest adopters of AI technology as federal politicians discuss broad concepts.
This week, more than 100 mayors traveled to Washington, D.C. to learn how OpenAI's ChatGPT and other generative AI tools could assist them in running their cities smoothly. They sought to understand how the advanced technology could help with matters such as accurately estimating which areas are likely to be most affected by calamities, as well as making it simpler for citizens to access city services. The four-hour Mayors Innovation Studio organized by Bloomberg Philanthropies' CityLab on Wednesday showed how generative AI is being used in many aspects of life and government. Out of the cities that were surveyed by Bloomberg Philanthropies, only 2% have started to use this technology, however, 69% revealed that they are assessing or experimenting with it while 96% of the surveyed mayors declared they are interested in employing it. The discussion in Washington mostly focused on how to put provisions on this technology, hence the session gave the mayors a peek at how AI is being used to serve their inhabitants while the federal government is still debating on regulations. According to James Anderson, who supervises government innovation programs at Bloomberg Philanthropies, in a conversation prior to the event: "Cities are places of action, where new solutions hit the ground. They are the last mile and frequently the first mile in terms of the innovations".
As Congress has not successfully passed numerous tech bills such as those safeguarding digital privacy or providing guardrails for kids on the internet, tech has become a matter governed by state and local governments. This has caused many tech companies to worry, as it might generate a complex system of regulations that is hard to follow. Wednesday's session was mainly concerned with how generative AI could make processes simpler for cities and provide them with information to make them more protected and efficient. The pandemic showed us the potential of local governments utilizing data, as they have created dashboards providing information about Covid cases and hospitalizations. By channeling experts on the issue of “storrowing” in Boston, Weiss used ChatGPT to create a graph from an open dataset of the same situation in New York City, which reflected a sharp decrease in occurrences. In response to his question about the reason for the change, ChatGPT answered that it was due to an improvement of infrastructure, better signage, modern GPS, and increased awareness. Furthermore, for fun, Weiss posed the question of crazy solutions to the problem, and ChatGPT suggested a truck catapult. It also suggested more practical solutions such as a designated detour route.
Weiss then encouraged ChatGPT to come up with a form of advertising for a summer jobs program that would appeal to teens, entitling it the "Summer Hustle." Along with the catchy wording, Weiss also had the AI craft a vibrant graphic to accompany it. To assist mayors in being prepared for their community board meetings, Weiss utilized the AI to come up with potential questions from the public, including relevant follow-up inquiries. Mayors that already are experienced in using generative AI tools have disclosed that they have been using them to predict draft questions, summarise articles, compose job postings, and formulate drafts for responses to constituents.During the event, which was presented as a forum for mayors to study and ask questions about new technology, CNBC agreed not to quote single mayors who were present.
The mayors had an opportunity to hear from cities that either have already implemented or are considering using generative AI in their operations. Buenos Aires, Argentina, for example, is developing a model utilizing ChatGPT with its Boti chatbot, with which people can communicate using WhatsApp. It is trained to address culture and tourism, which were decided to be relatively low-risk topics by Undersecretary Melisa Breda; however, the tool has not yet been released as it needs refinement.
Santiago Garces, Boston's Chief Information Officer, provided his city's staff with instructions on using the technology; these included closely supervising the results, disclosing the AI technology, and not inputting any sensitive data. Additionally, the city is looking into using generative AI to translate information into local dialects to aid in enrollment.
At the session, Bloomberg Philanthropies and the Center for Government Excellence at Johns Hopkins University unveiled the City AI Connect platform, for city staff to exchange ideas and access related resources. The goal of the event was to give mayors a beginning point for how to go about employing generative AI.
The attendees expressed their concerns; they had heard about generative AI everywhere and were uncertain where to begin. Speaking to CNBC, mayors at the event acknowledged the potential of generative AI to tackle problems in novel ways.
Mayor Tim Kelly of Chattanooga, Tennessee said during a phone interview that this was no easy matter. He foresaw that AI could help residents find open board seats that fit their interests or locate information on recycling more easily. Mayor Andrew Ginther of Columbus, Ohio is confident that AI can be utilized to predict natural disasters, high traffic accident areas, and simplify the approach residents take to obtain government benefits like food. Mayor London Breed of San Francisco spoke after the event and said AI could recognize forgotten or confusing laws on the books so that regulatory impediments to housing could be tackled. She adds that AI is coming, no matter how we feel about it, so it is important to stay ahead and not be left behind.
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