Mayors visit Washington to discover how generative AI can aid their cities in emergency preparedness and town hall management.

• On Wednesday, over 100 mayors gathered in Washington, D.C. to discover how ChatGPT and other generative AI tools could enhance their city management.
• An example of generative AI tools being integrated into various aspects of life and government is the roughly four-hour Mayors Innovation Studio, hosted by Bloomberg Philanthropies’ CityLab.
• Local governments may be the first to utilize AI to benefit their citizens, despite federal lawmakers discussing high-level principles.

This week, over 100 mayors visited Washington, D.C. to discover how generative AI tools, such as OpenAI's ChatGPT, could enhance their city management.

The mayors aimed to discover how advanced technology could aid them in forecasting the areas most susceptible to natural calamities and simplifying the process of accessing city services for residents.

The four-hour Mayors Innovation Studio, hosted by Bloomberg Philanthropies’ CityLab on Wednesday, showcases how generative AI tools are being integrated into various aspects of life and all levels of government. Although only 2% of cities surveyed by Bloomberg Philanthropies have actively implemented the technology, 69% have actively explored or tested it, and 96% of surveyed mayors expressed interest in using it.

In Washington, while the focus of AI discussions has been on Capitol Hill's broad regulations, the session revealed how local governments may be the first to utilize AI to benefit their citizens, despite federal lawmakers' debates on high-level principles.

James Anderson, who leads government innovation programs at Bloomberg Philanthropies, stated in a phone interview prior to the event that cities are "the last mile and often the first mile in terms of the innovations."

As Congress has been unable to pass significant tech legislation, such as protecting digital privacy or establishing rules for children's internet use, state and local governments have increasingly taken control of tech policy. This has caused concern among tech companies, who worry about the complex and inconsistent regulations resulting from this patchwork approach.

The main topic of Wednesday's session was how generative AI can simplify city operations or provide new perspectives to enhance their safety and efficiency. Anderson emphasized that the pandemic demonstrated the effectiveness of local governments utilizing data, as many created dashboards displaying local Covid cases and hospitalizations.

During the initial part of the session, Mitch Weiss, a Harvard Business School professor and a former chief of staff to a former Boston mayor, showed the group how ChatGPT could aid them in comprehending and resolving a local problem. Weiss employed the scenario of "storrowing" in Boston, where trucks accidentally scrape their tops off while passing under a low-clearance bridge.

Weiss requested the chatbot to consult with experts and devise strategies to address the problem, and posed questions to the AI, such as why low-clearance bridge warning systems were not effective. ChatGPT responded that drivers might be distracted, unfamiliar with the area, or overly reliant on GPS.

He requested a line graph from an open dataset of incidents in New York City and was amazed when a graph with a sharp decline in incidents appeared. He inquired about the possible reasons for New York City's decline in storrowing compared to Boston, and ChatGPT suggested that improved infrastructure, better signage, modern GPS, and awareness programs may have contributed to the decline.

He inquired about unconventional solutions to the issue and ChatGPT proposed a truck catapult. Additionally, he requested practical alternatives based on the unusual suggestions, and ChatGPT suggested a designated detour route.

Using AI for summer job programs and town halls

Weiss instructed ChatGPT to design a summer jobs program advertisement with a city and target it to teens. The AI created the branding of "Summer Hustle" and also produced a colorful graphic to promote the program.

Weiss demonstrated to mayors how the tool could be utilized to prepare for community board meetings by generating potential questions from community members, including follow-ups.

Some mayors have utilized generative AI tools to predict town hall questions, summarize articles they haven't had time to read, draft job descriptions, and draft responses to constituents.

The event, marketed as a platform for mayors to learn about new technology and ask questions freely, was attended by several mayors. However, CNBC decided not to quote any individual mayors who participated in the event.

Several cities have already deployed or are considering the use of generative AI, and the mayors have heard about it.

Buenos Aires, Argentina, is developing a ChatGPT-based AI model for its Boti chatbot, which residents can use via WhatsApp. The new Boti is designed to discuss culture and tourism, as determined by Melisa Breda, undersecretary for evidence-based policies. However, the tool has not yet been released as Breda stated that it still requires fine-tuning to meet their criteria.

Santiago Garces, Boston's Chief Information Officer, provided employees with basic guidelines for using technology. These guidelines included reviewing outcomes, disclosing the use of AI, and avoiding the input of sensitive data. Garces emphasized that the risks should be weighed against the opportunity for employees to experiment with technology and determine how it can improve their job efficiency in different government departments.

Boston is considering employing generative AI to translate information into regional dialects to facilitate enrollment of residents in services, as Garces stated.

The City AI Connect platform, announced by Bloomberg Philanthropies and the Center for Government Excellence at Johns Hopkins University, allows city staff to collaborate on utilizing AI in their governments.

Mayors can use the event as a reference to consider incorporating generative AI into their operations.

Anderson stated, "We were hearing about generative AI everywhere, and it's causing a lot of buzz. However, we're unsure of how to proceed with it in the local government."

CNBC interviewed mayors about the event and they acknowledged the potential of generative AI to address challenges in innovative ways.

"If we can successfully implement AI to enhance city services, it could significantly impact the progress," stated Chattanooga, Tennessee Mayor Tim Kelly during a pre-event phone interview.

Kelly envisioned that AI technology could facilitate residents' engagement with their local governments by identifying open board seats that align with their interests or streamlining access to recycling information.

The mayor of Columbus, Ohio, Andrew Ginther, aims to utilize the technology to enhance disaster prediction, traffic accident forecasting, and government benefits application process for residents.

Ginther stated that AI has great potential to improve local government operations and service delivery. By utilizing AI, they aim to enhance frontline decision-making and obtain real-time information, which will lead to significant time and cost savings for city staff. Additionally, there will be significant improvements in resident customer experience. However, they recognize that investing in AI is necessary.

In an interview, San Francisco Mayor London Breed imagined that AI could assist the city in discovering outdated and inconsistent laws, allowing them to streamline regulations and facilitate housing development.

Breed stated that we must not tackle AI from a place of fear. "It's inevitable," he said. "The question is, will we keep up with it and remain ahead to some extent, or will we lag behind and be overrun? My hope is that we don't let this technology outpace us."

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