San Francisco Supervisor Proposes Legislation for Transparency in AI Use

San Francisco Supervisor Proposes Legislation to Increase Transparency on City’s Use of AI Technology

San Francisco Supervisor Hilary Ronen is taking steps to shed light on the city’s use of artificial intelligence (AI) technology by introducing legislation that would require the Department of Technology to maintain a public list of where and how AI is being utilized across the city and county.

Ronen’s proposed legislation aims to provide transparency on the use of AI technology without prohibiting its use. The legislation would also mandate an impact assessment of the city’s AI programs to evaluate potential risks such as displacing workers, biased decision-making, security threats, and privacy concerns. The assessments would involve input from labor and privacy experts.

The decentralized nature of the city’s IT systems has made it challenging to track the use of technology, including AI. San Francisco’s Chief Information Officer, Michael Makstman, highlighted the difficulty of overseeing more than 50 city departments with their own IT systems and staff.

Makstman emphasized the importance of helping city employees understand the purpose of the legislation and their involvement in implementing it. The bill is a result of the city’s AI working group, which has been studying the technology and providing guidelines for its use by city workers.

Under the proposed legislation, Makstman would have six months to publish an inventory of the city’s AI programs and a year to conduct impact assessments for each program. Any new AI programs would need to be added to the list with an impact assessment.

Ronen expressed the need to stay ahead of technology to avoid negative consequences, citing past issues with social media and ride-sharing companies. The city is already using AI tools in various departments, such as the 311 mobile app, radiology imaging tools in the public health department, and digital security tools in the Department of Technology.

Organized labor, including the SEIU 1021 union, has shown support for the legislation as it will help them negotiate AI-related clauses in contracts with the city. Union President Theresa Rutherford expressed concerns about AI potentially impacting workers’ job duties and hiring practices.

The proposed legislation follows previous laws in San Francisco, such as banning algorithms for rent pricing by landlords and facial recognition technology by the police. The city is taking proactive steps to address the ethical and practical implications of AI technology in public services.

Overall, the legislation aims to increase transparency, accountability, and ethical considerations in the city’s use of AI technology. By involving experts and stakeholders in the assessment process, San Francisco is taking a proactive approach to ensure responsible AI implementation.

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