Heber City staff will be able to use artificial intelligence to help them with their work as long as they disclose how it’s used and follow other guidelines.
Councilmembers unanimously approved the city’s AI policy at a meeting Tuesday, April 21.
Lainee Meyers, who works in the city manager’s office, said she refined the policy based on feedback from the council in January.
“We added a prohibited uses section and made sure to establish quarterly training that is mandatory for department heads as well as supervisors,” she said.
Staff will be trained on information security, records retention and more. They’ll also learn about the limitations of AI, such as bias and hallucinations, which are responses from the technology that are factually incorrect or fabricated.
To keep city data private, employees won’t be allowed to use free or public AI tools.
Staff will be prohibited from using AI for decisions like hiring or firing.
When staff use AI to create materials that are shared with councilmembers or the public, they must note how it was used.
Councilmember Aaron Cheatwood, who works in information technology, said he’s pleased with how the policy turned out.
“I tell clients all the time: your employees are using AI. Even if you don’t have a policy, they are,” he said. “The benefit of a policy helps people to realize where risks might be.”
City leaders have said they envision using AI to help with meeting minutes, zoning applications and more.
Heber City is a financial supporter of KPCW.
