Report: Mayors are interested in generative AI, but adoption rates remain low

There’s been a lot of focus in recent months on artificial intelligence (AI) and its many possible applications, from self-driving cars to manufacturing efficiencies. City administrators are likewise exploring the ways AI can improve the quality of life and safety of their constituents, and the effectiveness of public services. 

New research from Bloomberg Philanthropies in partnership with the Centre for Public Impact quantifies the scope of interest in AI among public administrators.

“Generative AI promises to revolutionize the way cities work and, with strategic implementation, has the potential to vastly improve local governments’ efficiency, its capacity to innovate, and, most importantly, its efforts to improve residents’ lives,” reads the introduction to the report, “State of Cities: Generative AI in Local Governments,” which was published last month. In a survey included in the report, 96 percent of city staff members from around the globe expressed interest in using generative AI. Of the 80 mayors who participated in the survey, 78% said they’re interested or extremely interested in its use.

Their most pressing questions centered around implementation, AI’s impact on city services and efficiency, and its ethical, legal, and social considerations. They also wanted to know more about workforce transformation and the impact on jobs.

Extrapolating from the report’s findings, the adaptation of generative AI—artificial intelligence that’s driven by machine learning algorithms and able to generate new data based on inputted training—could dramatically increase in usage in coming years. 

According to a statement from Bloomberg Philanthropies, the implications of generative artificial intelligence include predicting trends, helping cities improve emergency responses, mitigating severe weather events, and targeting resources for infrastructure enhancements, among other things. 

Despite the high percentage of interest in its applications from a municipal perspective, only 2 percent of cities surveyed reported actively using it. Meanwhile, 69 percent are testing or exploring the technology—with an eye on addressing emerging climate, education, and public safety challenges, and as a way to expedite traffic, transportation and infrastructure.

But while there’s interest, there are also roadblocks.
“The data show that mayors are eager to learn more about generative AI and how it can improve their work on behalf of residents. But they also have concerns and need help, especially with technical expertise. One key for cities, then, is to consider assigning someone to become an in-house point person on generative AI. This means identifying who on the team will make it their business to stay up to date on the technology—and explore its applications,” reads a brief about the report from Bloomberg Philanthropies. Other barriers cited by mayors included budgetary constraints, and ethical considerations about security, privacy and transparency.

To that end, Bloomberg Philanthropies recently published a web-based platform, City AI Connect (cityaiconnect.jhu.edu), which is intended to help officials develop and test utilizations of AI alongside other cities. Currently, 100 cities globally have signed onto the endeavor. 

“From eliminating processing delays for critical city services—like SNAP benefits, housing vouchers, and drivers licenses—to transforming the ways local government can interact and service residents, there is extraordinary opportunity for generative artificial intelligence to upend the way cities engage with and deliver for communities—for good,” said James Anderson, who leads the government innovation program at Bloomberg Philanthropies in a statement.

For more information on Bloomberg Philanthropies’ City AI Connect, visit the organization’s website.