In Episode #2 of No BS Bureaucracy, hosts Mike Sarasti and Mark Wheeler explore local governments' readiness for generative AI. They tackle the notion that cities must rush to put enterprise-level gen AI tools into production. Their bottom line?

1. Don’t relinquish the wheel to any gen AI co-pilots until city leaders understand the contours of their departments’ data sprawl.
2. Leaders must be familiar with gen AI tools themselves.
3. AI governance is a natural extension of all your existing frameworks for governing data, privacy, and ethics - not a standalone program to be built from scratch.

Mike shares his personal journey with gen AI, explaining how he jumped into a relationship with ChatGPT rather quickly (hmmm… U-Haul has never seen a moving van lease get signed so fast!). Mike likens the process to "carving a sculpture," where the first output of gen AI is like a blob of potential, but you’ve got to spend time picking it apart and refining outputs. He recommends that local government leaders begin with familiar topics (where they are the subject matter experts) and see gen AI governance through the lenses of all existing policies on privacy and equity.

Mark shares recommendations for crafting AI governance from existing data security and privacy programs. His main point is that AI is data. To govern gen AI effectively, cities must first be able to govern ALL of their data. He recommends taking stock of an organization’s data sprawl and asking some critical questions: What’s the current state of data governance? Is there a classification scheme for unstructured data? Are data retention policies enforced for legal and/or historical preservation purposes, or are hoarding tendencies running unchecked? Plus, where to go for help—like the GovAI Coalition for policy, procurement, and education templates and guidance.

Mark also provides some stats to back up the feeling that gen AI adoption is a “must-do” for leaders but questions why the evidence of its transformation on industries and everyday life hasn't materialized.

ADVERT: The Sara Connor Anti-AI Plug-in

In the closing segment, aka Mike & Mark’s music picks, Mike announces his band Raker is releasing new music in August! After a few years' hiatus, Raker is back with the release of the single “Hologram” on all music streaming platforms!
https://open.spotify.com/track/6Qf228NOvNIG3MjoCc9ZeX?si=a866719ff1b242a6
Instagram: @rakermusic https://www.instagram.com/rakermusic

Mark describes what it's like to fully experience Philly’s eclectic Martha Graham Cracker Cabaret.

Thanks to Earl Grant for lending his thespian skills to the “Anti-AI plug-in” advert.

#innovation #AI #genAI #localgovernment #govtech #publicsector #smartcities