The Shasta County Board of Supervisors has passed a resolution to integrate artificial intelligence (AI) into county departments, with the goal of increasing efficiency and reducing costs. The resolution, sponsored by District 4 Supervisor Matt Plummer, was unanimously approved by the board.

Implementation and Safeguards

According to Plummer, the intention behind the resolution is to encourage the use of AI solutions to support employee shortages and respond to financial challenges in county departments. He emphasized that AI would not be used to replace employees and that the county would implement safeguards to maintain human oversight.

Thomas Schreiber, Shasta County’s Chief Information Officer, provided additional context and answered questions during the meeting. He encouraged the board to view AI as a tool that can be used to resolve problems within county departments.

Security Concerns and Data Protection

District 2 Supervisor Allen Long raised concerns about the potential risks of sensitive information being leaked. Schreiber responded by stating that the type of AI the county would implement would be through a contracted vendor, with built-in security parameters and terms to ensure sensitive data would be protected.

Schreiber also denied rumors of a data center being built in Shasta County, stating that the county is not planning to build its own AI data center.

Policy Development

Both Plummer and Schreiber emphasized that the county would be outlining a more in-depth policy following the vote. The policy would address acceptable uses, prohibited uses, and delineate between high-risk and low-risk cases of AI.

Schreiber noted that the county is looking to use Placer County’s AI policy as a template for Shasta’s policy.

Original reporting: Shasta Scout (Redding) — read the source article.