New York City unveils | CNN Business

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The same New York City administration that launched the “Rat Action Plan” is back with the “Artificial Intelligence Action Plan.”

Mayor Eric Adams on Monday unveiled a citywide AI “action plan” that pledged — in broad outline — to evaluate AI tools and the risks associated with them, boost AI skills among city employees and support “the responsible implementation of these technologies to improve people’s quality of life.” New Yorkers,” according to a statement issued by the city mayor’s office.

51-page Artificial Intelligence for the City work Plan It sets out a series of steps the city will take in the coming years to help better understand and implement the technology that has revolutionized the technology sector and the wider business world in recent months.

While government use of automated technologies often sparks controversy, New York City’s approach to AI, so far, appears to be focused on framing future AI use cases as well as engaging with outside experts and the public.

The first step included in the city’s AI action plan is to create an “AI Steering Committee” made up of city agency stakeholders. The document goes on to list nearly 40 “actions,” 29 of which are scheduled to begin or be completed within the next year. The city said it will publish an annual report on AI progress to communicate city updates and plan implementation.

Also on Monday, city officials said the government piloted the city’s first citywide AI chatbot to help business owners navigate operating and growing businesses in New York City. The AI-powered chatbot, already available in beta on the official New York City website, was trained on information from more than 2,000 New York City business web pages.

The chatbot uses Microsoft’s Azure AI services, according to the tool’s disclaimer.

In a statement announcing the AI ​​Action Plan, Mayor Adams acknowledged “the potential pitfalls and associated risks that these technologies present,” and pledged to be “clear” about these risks.

The mayor also expressed hope that the action plan would strike “a critical balance in the global conversation about artificial intelligence — one that will enable city agencies to deploy technologies that can improve lives while protecting against those who could do harm.”