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As artificial intelligence embeds itself into everyday life, Wasatch County governments are setting guidelines for how to use the new technology ethically.
The Midway City Council reviewed a draft AI policy at its work session March 23.
City attorney Corbin Gordon said he wrote the proposed policy based on other local governments’ rules.
“We want to make sure that we are using AI in a way where we are not letting AI make the decisions for us,” he said. “Very powerful tool; can get you to places much quicker than you otherwise would be. But if you don't double-check it, it gets to be a problem.”
City staff would be able to use AI for things like writing meeting minutes, summarizing documents, drafting reports and assisting with records requests.
Ethical use of AI is one of the main concerns, especially when legal information is concerned. Gordon proposed a list of prohibited uses for AI.
“Use of AI as the official repository or custodian of city records – we would never want to do that,” he said. “Reliance on AI-generated content as final without human review; uploading confidential, privileged or protected information into non-approved AI systems; use of personal or non-city-controlled AI accounts for city business.”
Mayor Craig Simons said he doesn’t want Midway data used to train large-language models. The town would most likely create a protected account for government uses, and staff would need to use that account to ensure data security.
Councilmembers suggested a disclosure requirement, so members of the public know when AI has been used. They also emphasized the importance of always checking the technology’s results for accuracy.
A small committee will refine Gordon’s draft policy this spring before bringing it back to the council for a vote.
In neighboring Heber City, staff are using AI to generate ideas, most recently for a proposed patriotic monument. Heber councilmembers expect to adopt an AI policy later this spring.
