New York City unveiled a new plan to use AI to make its government work better

• New York City released its Artificial Intelligence Action Plan on Monday.
• The plan outlines a framework for how the city's agencies should responsibly use AI.
• The city said it will set policies to avoid bias and improve government services.

New York City on Monday released a plan for how to responsibly adopt and regulate artificial intelligence to "improve services and processes across our government."

New York City is "not running away from AI," Mayor Eric Adams said on Monday. "We are going to properly govern how we use AI in a responsible way."

The city's Artificial Intelligence Action Plan, the first of its kind from a major US city, outlines a framework for how city agencies should use AI while recognizing its risks. The plan further discusses how to implement these technologies to improve quality of life.

"If we stay away from moving forward because we're afraid of someone who's going to abuse it, you won't get anything done," Adams said.

The plan, which builds on New York City's 2021 AI Strategy, outlines 37 key actions, most of which will be started or completed in the next year. These include creating an external advisory network for addressing opportunities and challenges posed by AI, educating city employees about working with AI, and publishing a yearly progress report. The city also intends on holding public listening sessions to more transparently outline why and how the city is using AI.

In its announcement, the city acknowledged AI can in some cases exhibit patterns of bias and discrimination. Many algorithmic tools rely on data that reflect biases in fields such as policing and housing, and can lead to discrimination against people of color and women. The plan introduced actions to help agencies evaluate these risks and ultimately determine the efficacy of certain AI tools.

Currently, nearly a dozen city agencies use over 30 algorithmic tools, around which the city said it will establish new policies. These tools are used to analyze patterns of crime, match applicants to schools, and determine breastfeeding and maternal depression referrals.

"We know the term AI can cause anxiety, you hear it all the time. People think all of a sudden you're going to have a Terminator-type figure come in and take over government and displace human beings," Adams said. "That's just not the reality. Take a deep breath, get a grip. It's going to help us function better in the city."

As part of the plan, the city announced a new AI chatbot that can answer questions about the city's business services on the MyCity Business website. The site is designed to connect business owners with aspiring entrepreneurs to teach them the ropes of growing a business, as well as providing people with information from over 2,000 NYC Business articles and web pages. The first iteration of MyCity launched in March to assist families accessing child care.

"This is really about lifting the boulder of bureaucracy," Adams said. "People should not be afraid to interact with government. Many people would rather lay on a bed of nails than having to call the government to just ask basic questions."

Some experts have said AI could come in handy during the city's budget crunch, allowing agencies to make key decisions pulling from many data points without needing as many people. AI could be particularly beneficial to identifying places most in demand of affordable housing, Stefaan Verhulst, a research professor at New York University, told Bloomberg.

Adams also said the city has started doing robocalls with his voice in different languages to make New Yorkers more comfortable and to avoid long wait times for translation services.

Some cities have already adopted AI for managing public works, improving government efficiency, and better delivering services. New York City has also used AI at some subway stations to track fare evasion patterns.