Nonprofit launches forum to help city leaders leverage AI effectively
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The AI and Emerging Technology Forum will serve as a platform for local leaders to learn about and pilot new AI tools and use cases.
The National League of Cities has launched another initiative aimed at assisting city leaders’ exploration and use of artificial intelligence technology in government services and operations.
The AI and Emerging Technology Forum includes municipal mayors, chief information officers and practitioners of local government technology to further research how small governments can leverage the technology. Forum members, for instance, will explore how AI can enhance service delivery, strengthen local governance and build internal capacity, NLC leaders said in a statement announcing the forum’s launch last week.
“We're really excited to launch this initiative in partnership with our members and with some of our trusted strategic partners, like Tyler Technologies, with the goal in mind to look at new uses of artificial intelligence, how cities can be proactive in responsible use from policies and planning,” said Christopher Jordan, program manager for AI and innovation at the National League of Cities.
The forum will also focus on “how we can bring city leaders together to share ideas and promising practices for using technology responsibly and also addressing when not to use AI,” Jordan said.
Cities and counties across the U.S. have been increasingly weaving AI into systems and services as local governments grapple with declining budgets and workforce shortages that can ultimately impact the quality of public-facing resources. For instance, San Jose, California, is expanding its AI-enabled traffic signal system to prioritize green lights for public buses.
In Wisconsin, Washoe County has been building a generative AI platform that assists local government staff with research and writing tasks, saving employees about five to 10 hours a week to prioritize higher-value work like municipal planning, according to a local official.
The tech also has potential to expedite the process of finding and applying for federal funding opportunities by scanning and summarizing relevant databases, websites and funding notices to inform local government agencies of resources available to them.
As AI becomes more pervasive in local government, and more advanced offerings like agentic AI become available, “communities are grappling with different considerations around public trust and privacy and now AI infrastructure and data centers, we know there's a need to keep putting out new guidance and new resources and tools to help cities,” Jordan said.
The new forum builds upon the NLC’s previous efforts to support cities’ adoption and implementation of responsible AI. In 2024 the nonprofit launched an AI advisory committee dedicated to demystifying AI and developing AI practices among communities, Jordan explained. The advisory committee also released a report at the time to guide leaders’ use of AI.
Currently, the forum comprises 20 local leaders who convened earlier this year, but “in the future, we will have applications open for members to be involved,” he said. “Until that application opens, we'll have webinars and workshops throughout the year.”
“If there are ways that AI can improve innovation and improve services and quality of life for residents, we want to investigate those uses and make sure that we can highlight the best solutions and opportunities for our member cities,” Jordan said.