Artificial intelligence is the wave of the future and Encinitas ought to be surfing on the leading edge, City Council members said last week as they directed city employees to start finding new ways to use AI-fueled technology reduce expenses.
“Our city’s growing, our staff needs are growing, (and) the use of AI will offset the cost of additional staffing,” Councilmember Jim O’Hara said as he introduced his proposal Wednesday.
Quoting a question that he said fellow Councilmember Luke Shaffer often asks people, O’Hara later added, “How do we make this one of the best cities around, one of the three best cities in California? We do that by staying out front (on technology issues).”
After his presentation, council members unanimously voted to direct the city manager to ask city department heads to draft lists of ways AI could be used more often, with the goal of having those lists ready in time for the start of the city’s annual budget-setting process in late February.
Acting City Manager Jennifer Campbell told the council that city employees also will note where AI technology already is being used at City Hall. One place where the public might be most likely to notice it is on the city’s web site where an AI-fueled, pop-up, sun-faced, chat function offers to answer people’s questions.
AI, as defined by the Britannica web site, is “the ability of a digital computer or computer-controlled robot to perform tasks commonly associated with intelligent beings.” It’s been used lately in everything from facial recognition software to self-driving cars.
During Wednesday’s council meeting, O’Hara said that one key area where AI technology could be put into immediate use in Encinitas city business would be in the production of reports, thus reducing or even eliminating the city’s use of outside paid consultants.
One example of a human-produced study that could be handled by AI technology was the recent $99,000 project to identify new locations in town where low-income housing projects could locate, he said. That project was managed by Kosmont Co. of Manhattan Beach.
“We’re doing studies that could be completely data-driven by AI,” he said.
While O’Hara and Shaffer praised the new technology, Mayor Bruce Ehlers, who has a background in engineering and computer technology, said he had some reservations about vastly expanding its use in Encinitas. On the council’s agenda that night were several “highly technical” consulting contracts and those should not be handled by AI, he said.
Encinitas resident Patty Stottlemyer also expressed reservations, saying the new technology made her nervous. She said she agreed with the idea of reducing or eliminating the use of outside consultants, but said she would rather Encinitas used city employees to handle these projects, rather than depending on AI technology.
