\n The local authority believes its efficiency and productivity can be improved using AI tools, leading to better public services.\n<\/p>\n
\n \u201cWe shouldn\u2019t be afraid of new technology \u2013 by embracing it, we can make Newport a smarter, more innovative city for everyone,\u201d said the council\u2019s leader, Cllr Dimitri Batrouni.\n<\/p>\n
\n \u201cWe want our workforce to be empowered and flexible and deliver services that meet the changing needs of our residents.\u201d\n<\/p>\n
\n The council, which already uses technology such as Microsoft Copilot, claims AI and automation will bring \u201cfaster response times and more personalised services for citizens\u201d.\n<\/p>\n
\n Newport Council HQ (Image: LDRS)\n<\/p>\n
\n For its staff, the council said there is \u201cthe potential to boost productivity significantly by automating tasks, enhancing decision-making, and accelerating innovation\u201d.\n<\/p>\n
\n The draft policy states AI and automation can \u201cstreamline repetitive tasks, reduce human error, and free up employees to focus on more strategic activities\u201d.\n<\/p>\n
\n But the council acknowledges the limitations of AI and the potential for \u201challucination\u201d of \u201cincorrect, misleading or fabricated\u201d information.\n<\/p>\n
\n \u201cI know and understand why many have reservations around the use of AI,\u201d said Cllr Batrouni. \u201cThis policy shows our commitment to using technology responsibly, making our work more efficient, and ensuring we do so in a way that is fair, safe and transparent.\u201d\n<\/p>\n
\n He added: \u201cAs well as needs changing, technology is too \u2013 so this policy and our approach will be reviewed regularly to make sure we are making the most of the opportunities available and keeping residents and the city at the heart of all decisions.\u201d\n<\/p>\n
\n The new policy states AI and automation will be used \u201cfor work purposes\u201d only \u201cwhere there is a clear rationale or business case to support the increase in productivity\u201d \u2013 and which \u201cdelivers tangible benefits to the community\u201d.\n<\/p>\n
\n All information used in AI and automation systems will be subject to UK data protection laws, and include \u201cappropriate\u201d security measures \u201cto protect against malicious attacks\u201d.\n<\/p>\n
\n The council said the technology must not be used to automate decision-making or profile individuals, and must avoid \u201cperpetuating or amplifying existing biases\u201d.\n<\/p>\n
\n Cllr Batrouni is expected to sign off on the new policy later this week.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"The local authority believes its efficiency and productivity can be improved using AI tools, leading to better public…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":322158,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[20],"tags":[554,733,4308,86,56,54,55],"class_list":{"0":"post-322157","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-artificial-intelligence","8":"tag-ai","9":"tag-artificial-intelligence","10":"tag-artificialintelligence","11":"tag-technology","12":"tag-uk","13":"tag-united-kingdom","14":"tag-unitedkingdom"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/322157","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=322157"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/322157\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/322158"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=322157"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=322157"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=322157"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}