5 October 2023
SEDGWICK COUNTY, Kan. (KSNW) — Sedgwick County is adding employee guidelines for using artificial intelligence. Their information technology department met with commissioners Tuesday to discuss the artificial intelligence policy in the works.
Chief Information Officer Mike Elpers explains their concern is on Generative AI, which takes in information to create content in the form of text or images. The policy will help prevent issues with security and inaccurate information.
While AI is growing rapidly in professional industries, “There’s no guidance on how to use it in business,” said Elpers.
“It’s going to be a very good time to sit down and understand what AI does, what it can do, and what the positive and negative really are,” explains Bill Ramsey, CEO of Soteria Solutions.
Sedgwick County employees acknowledge that AI could be helpful.
“There could be some data or solutions that come out of that that we had never thought of before,” said District I Commissioner Pete Meitzner.
But it also has the potential for problems.
“It can be bias, right, inaccuracies, unauthorized use of intellectual property, plagiarism …” said Elpers.
The County has drafted a three-page AI policy for employees advising them to not put sensitive information into the technology.
“Anything that’s put into those AIs is held onto. It’s stored to be regurgitated elsewhere,” said Ramsey.
The draft also says content produced by AI must be approved by a human before being released.
“There are flaws. 90% accurate, 95% accurate,” explained Meitzner.
“It being reviewed by somebody, I think, is important just so you’re not giving out the wrong information because AI can 100% give out the wrong information,” added Ramsey.
The policy is under legal review and will be emailed to Sedgwick County employees to read and sign off on once complete.
The goal is to implement the AI policy into the county’s Acceptable Use Policy, which Elpers says states, “All electronic data sent and stored by employees should demonstrate good judgment and reflect professionalism of Sedgwick County.”
Part of the drafted AI policy is based on state guidelines that took effect in July.