What is the ethical AI policy of Tempe? Valley city issues guidelines to promote responsible technology use
TEMPE, ARIZONA: Artificial intelligence (AI) is reshaping the future, and the City of Tempe is proactively embracing it. In an effort to ensure the ethical and responsible use of emerging AI technologies, Tempe has recently implemented a comprehensive AI policy.
The objective is to be deliberate in selecting AI technologies and to consider their potential impact on the community.
According to 12news.com, Stephanie Deitrick, the Chief Data and Analytics Officer for the City of Tempe, stressed the importance of this approach.
"We want to be intentional in the type of work we're doing and really think about how these types of tools could impact our community in positive ways or in ways that might be unexpected that could have potentially negative consequences," he said.
Tempe's commitment to ethical AI implementation
Under the new AI policy, any AI technologies to be employed by city employees must go through a rigorous evaluation process.
They are required to demonstrate their value to the community and a commitment to transparency and fairness.
As Deitrick highlights, this is to ensure that these technologies provide real value and are used transparently and fairly.
Once approved by a dedicated committee, the city continues to monitor the AI's performance through quality control checks to verify its accuracy and impartiality.
Professor Gary Marchant, the faculty director of Arizona State University's Center for Law, Science, and Innovation, emphasized the significance of understanding the inner workings of AI and the reasons behind its use.
He remarked, "Unless you are aware of it and address it, so much of the data these machines are trained on has that bias."
Tempe's proactive approach to AI governance commended
Marchant commended the City of Tempe for its forward-thinking policies and proactive stance. He said, "What the City of Tempe has done here is try to put some policies early to try to get a handle on this as it develops so you can be in charge of it rather than it be in charge of you."
He also pointed out that all organizations should contemplate the use of AI as the technology is advancing at an astonishing pace.
Marchant noted, "This technology is moving incredibly fast. It's basically on an exponential curve. What we've seen so far is just the very beginning."
Tempe's ethical AI policy serves as a model for responsible technology adoption, reflecting its commitment to harnessing AI's potential while safeguarding against unintended consequences in the evolving AI landscape.