Local leaders, community members and City of St. Petersburg staff came together Tuesday evening to discuss an emerging technology that is affecting every industry: artificial intelligence.\u00a0<\/p>\n
An open house was held at the President Barack Obama Main Library. The event helped launch a community-wide public input initiative focused on the use of artificial intelligence in municipal operations.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cIt makes those routine tasks and research much more efficient and that frees up time for our employees to work on other things that are more impactful,\u201d Mayor Ken Welch told the Catalyst. \u201cMy approach would be not to cut positions, it would be to empower folks to make their positions more efficient going forward.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
He explained that it is essential to \u201chave guide rails for our employees.\u201d Welch\u2019s \u201cmain concerns have to do with the unregulated use of AI at a higher level.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
In 2025, Welch supported the creation of a cross-departmental AI Task Force. This group was \u201cdirected to study how AI is being used and evolving, and to identify policies, processes and procedures to ensure the ethical and responsible use of AI,\u201d according to the city\u2019s website.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The task force helped develop an internal Generative AI Policy<\/a> to \u201cestablish standards for acceptable use, training and approved tools within City government.\u201d Generative AI refers to platforms such as ChatGPT, Claude and Google Gemini. The guidelines went into effect Aug. 3.<\/p>\n Administrative Policy 071200 prohibits staff members from entering confidential and personally identifiable information, sensitive security or infrastructure data, personnel, medical or legally protected records and criminal justice information into an AI system without written approval from the Chief Information Officer or a designee.\u00a0<\/p>\n Additionally, it requires employees to verify any AI-generated content for accuracy and potential intellectual property issues.\u00a0<\/p>\n READ MORE: St. Pete council weighs AI expansion after policy rollout\u00a0<\/a><\/p>\n City director of government affairs and AI Task Force co-chair David Thompson explained that current internal policy only focuses on generative AI systems. He said\u00a0that it was essential to make sure that residents had an opportunity to share their opinions before the City explores AI on a broader scale. Examples could include using systems in the permitting process or creating chatbots.\u00a0<\/p>\n