Research Notes
Short, sourced analysis on municipal AI governance.
Written for city managers, attorneys, procurement officers, IT leaders, council staff, researchers, and AI-policy practitioners. Each note explains one practical governance problem and connects it to a tool local governments can use.
Policy note
State AI requirements only become effective when local governments translate them into procurement, review, documentation, and oversight processes.
Policy note
Procurement gives local governments an actionable point at which to examine AI products, establish safeguards, and preserve oversight authority.
Policy note
AI-assisted work can create information that cities may need to retain, review, retrieve, or disclose under their existing records obligations.
Policy note
A practical overview of the questions cities should ask vendors about data use, model changes, performance limits, audit access, subcontractors, records, and contract termination.
Policy note
Not every AI use requires the same oversight. This note explains how a four-tier framework can separate low-impact staff tools from systems affecting rights, services, employment, safety, or liberty.
Policy note
Municipal AI governance does not replace national or international advanced-AI policy. It does, however, reveal recurring institutional problems involving inventories, evaluation, vendor dependence, incident response, and assignment of responsibility.