New York City Mayor Eric Adams has announced the rollout of an Artificial Intelligence (AI) Action Plan to govern AI and improve the quality of life for New Yorkers. The plan includes 37 actions, with 29 set to be implemented in 2024. It establishes a framework to govern AI, creates an advisory board, prepares city employees to work responsibly with AI, and publishes annual progress reports. The plan aims to balance deploying beneficial technologies and protecting against potential risks and harm. New York City already uses over 30 algorithmic tools, and the plan will establish new policies around their use.
During a press conference, Adams then revealed that his office has been robocalling residents with an algorithmically generated version of his voice speaking languages he does not actually speak. The calls, ongoing since March 2022, have misled New Yorkers into believing that the mayor speaks Spanish, Mandarin, and Yiddish. Critics have condemned the use of deepfakes, calling it deceptive and unethical. The company responsible for developing the robocalls, Voice Lab by Eleven Labs, has faced scrutiny in the past for misuse cases of its technology.
While I’m talking about cities, Axios covered how Bloomberg has launched a platform for city leaders to test and develop AI tools. AI can help track traffic patterns, expand language access through chatbots, and speed up paperwork processing. However, it is meant to complement human efforts, not replace them.
Why do we care?
I can put the good and the horrifying right next to each other. Yay, building a plan! Boo potentially misleading your constituents! And it’s essentially that simple – the area to focus on is helping customers plan, but also to help them not make boneheaded mistakes. Particularly for those in public service, getting this balance right is critically important.
The opportunity lies in positioning your company as the balanced voice that helps clients reap AI benefits while steering clear of ethical or legal landmines.