Introduction to AI Tools in Government
AI tools may also help governments understand the needs and desires of residents. The community is “already inputting a lot of its knowledge” through community meetings, public surveys, 311 tickets, and other channels. For instance, Boston recorded nearly 300,000 311 requests in 2024, with most being complaints related to parking. New York City recorded 35 million 311 contacts in 2023. It can be difficult for government workers to spot trends in all that noise.
Analyzing Resident Complaints
AI can help paint a clearer picture of how these sorts of resident complaints are distributed geographically. At a community meeting in Boston last year, city staff used generative AI to instantly produce a map of pothole complaints from the previous month. This technology has the potential to greatly improve the efficiency of government services and response times to resident issues.
Understanding Resident Desires
AI also has the potential to illuminate more abstract data on residents’ desires. One mechanism used is Polis, an open-source polling platform used by several national governments around the world and a handful of cities and media companies in the US. A recent update allows poll hosts to categorize and summarize responses using AI. This is an experiment in how AI can help facilitate direct democracy.
The Role of Polis
Polis is a tool that allows for the categorization and summarization of responses using AI. The creator of Polis, Colin Megill, has worked on this issue with both OpenAI and Anthropic. Megill is proceeding cautiously, with the goal of “enhance human agency” and avoiding “manipulation” at all costs. He wants to give the model very specific and discrete tasks that augment human authors but don’t replace them.
Concerns About Misinformation
Misinformation is another concern as local governments figure out how best to work with AI. Though they’re increasingly common, 311 chatbots have a mixed record on this front. New York City’s chatbot made headlines last year for providing inaccurate and, at times, bizarre information. For example, when an Associated Press reporter asked if it was legal for a restaurant to serve cheese that had been nibbled on by a rat, the chatbot responded, “Yes, you can still serve the cheese to customers if it has rat bites.”
Improving AI Tools
The New York chatbot appears to have improved since then. When asked by a reporter, it responded firmly in the negative to the nibbling rat question. This shows that AI tools can be improved over time to provide more accurate information. However, it is crucial for governments to be aware of the potential for misinformation and to take steps to mitigate it.
Conclusion
In conclusion, AI tools have the potential to greatly improve the way governments understand the needs and desires of residents. By analyzing resident complaints and desires, AI can help governments provide better services and make more informed decisions. However, it is essential to proceed cautiously and avoid manipulation and misinformation.
FAQs
Q: How can AI tools help governments understand resident complaints?
A: AI tools can help analyze large amounts of data from 311 requests and other sources to identify trends and patterns.
Q: What is Polis, and how does it use AI?
A: Polis is an open-source polling platform that uses AI to categorize and summarize responses.
Q: What is the concern about misinformation in AI tools?
A: The concern is that AI tools, such as 311 chatbots, may provide inaccurate or misleading information to residents.
Q: How can governments improve AI tools to avoid misinformation?
A: Governments can improve AI tools by testing and refining them over time, and by providing clear and accurate information for the AI to learn from.
