St Germain en Laye, December 16th 2024.
In today’s climate of political polarization and media fragmentation, mayors are struggling to connect with their constituents and build trust. AI offers a powerful tool to overcome these challenges by dramatically improving communication, service delivery, and government transparency.
For example, AI facilitates the creation of authentic and engaging content, such as videos that showcase the hard work of city employees, foster a sense of connection, and demonstrate responsible use of public funds. AI also enables cross-platform engagement, reaching citizens where they already are—on WhatsApp, in lifestyle radio shows, or other preferred channels. Additionally, AI-driven platforms can combat misinformation by providing reliable information in times of crisis, building public trust, and fostering more legitimate two-way dialogue.
AI can be used to streamline the tasks of frontline workers, allowing them to focus on direct citizen interaction and personalized service, while establishing clear, verifiable records that increase accountability. Transparency can also be greatly improved through AI-powered real-time translation of public meetings and the creation of accessible summaries of city council proceedings. This would allow more residents to actively participate in shaping the future of their community, while providing community leaders with the tools to analyze data and provide better oversight of local government. Finally, AI can help ensure consistency and accuracy of messaging, eliminate confusion, and build trust in the reliability of city information.
AI’s positive impact on trust will not be automatic. Its ability to facilitate proactive problem-solving can effectively increase the responsiveness of governments and foster a higher level of public trust. But it would be desirable for opponents of municipal political teams to also have access to a channel for communicating their own information. Careful ethical reflection and human oversight are essential to preserve the proper functioning of democracy. Otherwise, AI could become a tool for maintaining power and lead the public into the illusion that the only government channel has legitimacy.
See Bloomberg Cities John Hopkins University article: How artificial intelligence can increase trust in cities | Bloomberg Cities
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