To: Board of Supervisors of the County of Sonoma (“County”), and the Boards of Directors of the Russian River County Sanitation District, Sonoma Valley County Sanitation District, Occidental County Sanitation District, South Park County Sanitation District, and the Board of Directors of the Sonoma County Agricultural Preservation and Open Space District (collectively referred to hereinafter as “Special Districts”), and the Sonoma County Water Agency (“Agency”), and the Board of Commissioners of the Sonoma County Community Development Commission (“Commission”). The County, Special Districts, Agency and Commission are collectively referred to herein as “Local Agencies” or singularly as “Local Agency.”
Department or Agency Name(s): Information Systems Department
Staff Name and Phone Number: Steve Lindley, Assistant Information Systems Director
Vote Requirement: Majority
Supervisorial District(s): Countywide
Title: title
Administrative Policy 9-6: Information Technology Artificial Intelligence (AI) Policy
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Recommended Actions:
recommended action
A) Review and concurrently approve the County Administrative Policy 9-6: Information Technology Artificial Intelligence (AI) Policy which outlines the framework for the responsible use of AI technologies by Local Agency employees (as described above) and contractors.
B) Authorize the Information Systems Director or their designee to oversee the implementation, compliance, and annual review of the AI Policy.
end recommended action
Executive Summary:
The Information Systems Department (ISD) is requesting the Board of Supervisors, in their role as Board of Supervisors for the County, Board of Directors for all special districts and agencies, and Board of Commissioners for the Sonoma County Community Development Commission, to approve the proposed Administrative Policy 9-6: Information Technology Artificial Intelligence (AI) Policy to apply to all County departments, special districts, agencies, and commissions. This policy establishes guidelines for the responsible and ethical use of AI technologies by Local Agency employees and contractors. The policy also outlines the Due Diligence process that must be performed before utilizing any AI technologies, which includes a risk assessment review by the County Information Security Officer (ISO) and County Counsel to ensure that the technologies are secure, compliant, and that sufficient contractual terms are in place to protect County data.
Given the rapid advancement and increasing availability and utilization of AI tools in various functions, this policy is crucial for ensuring continuing compliance with existing laws, regulations, and data protection standards. The policy aims to mitigate risks associated with AI, including security, privacy, and potential biases, while promoting productivity, transparency, and accountability in AI usage.
Discussion:
Artificial Intelligence technology shows promise for making government services more effective and efficient, offering benefits that promote the community’s interests. Advances in areas such as data gathering, content development, business process automation, and public records management all show promise. Rapid changes in the potential and risks associated with this technology will require ISD to partner with County departments and agencies on policy and training to support AI implementation in a secure and ethical manner.
The adoption of the Artificial Intelligence (AI) Policy is essential to safeguard the County’s interests and ensure the responsible use of AI technologies. It will provide a robust framework for ethical and compliant AI usage, mitigating potential risks while leveraging the benefits of AI to enhance productivity and service delivery.
The proposed AI Policy has been developed to address the evolving landscape of AI technologies and their applications within the County of Sonoma. The policy provides comprehensive guidelines to ensure that AI tools and systems are used ethically, securely, and in compliance with relevant regulations. Key aspects of the policy include:
Scope: The policy applies to all County departments, special districts, agencies, commissions, contractors, and third parties with access to AI technologies on behalf of the County.
Roles and Responsibilities: Detailed responsibilities for users, department heads, and the Information Systems Department to ensure adherence to the policy.
Ethical Use and Transparency: Guidelines to ensure AI is used ethically, with transparency about how AI is used and AI's role in generating content.
Data Protection and Compliance: Measures to protect sensitive data and ensure AI usage complies with legal standards and County policies.
Bias and Discrimination: Prohibitions on the use of AI for decision-making or other activities that may narrow down or exclude options from otherwise being considered or could result in biased or discriminatory outcomes.
Financial Impact: The implementation of the AI Policy is not expected to have any significant financial impact on the County’s budget. However, AI technologies that departments may wish to implement upon approval of this Policy may have associated costs. Departments that wish to implement AI technologies will be responsible for incorporating these costs into their budgets, as they do for other technologies that they utilize.
Due Diligence: The policy outlines the Due Diligence and Compliance Review process that must be completed on all AI technologies, before they are used. The Information Systems Department (ISD) has created a risk assessment template to help determine the risks associated with AI technologies, which includes requirements for not allowing County data to be used to train AI technologies, not allowing the AI to share any County data, as well as legal and contractual requirements. The County Information Security Officer (ISO) is also required to review the security of the technologies, and County Counsel is required to review the legal and contractual elements of each AI technology. A list of Authorized AI Technologies has also been developed and will be posted on the Internet alongside the AI Policy, making it available to staff to identify which technologies have already been reviewed and authorized by the Information Systems Department and County Counsel, although each Department Head will determine if and how these authorized technologies may be utilized within their own departments.
Failure to comply with this Policy manual may result in disciplinary action up to, and including, termination in accordance with County Civil Service Rules or a Local Agencies’ separate and distinct disciplinary rules and procedures.
The Information Systems Department and Human Resources notified all County employee labor organizations of the proposed AI Policy and completed our obligation to meet and confer in accordance with the Meyers-Milias Brown Act (MMBA).
Strategic Plan:
N/A
Racial Equity:
Was this item identified as an opportunity to apply the Racial Equity Toolkit?
This policy supports County staff and departments in utilizing AI technology in ways that align with the County’s racial equity goals by defining proper and improper uses of technology to reduce and/or eliminate the introduction of bias in evaluation and decision making.
Prior Board Actions:
None
Narrative Explanation of Fiscal Impacts:
N/A
Narrative Explanation of Staffing Impacts:
N/A
Attachments:
Administrative Policy 9-6: Information Technology Artificial Intelligence (AI) Policy