When it comes to artificial intelligence in local government, Detroit residents remain largely cautious, according to a recent survey by the Detroit Metro Area Communities Study at the University of Michigan.
Support for the potential use of AI in most municipal operations surveyed failed to crack 40%, with 30% voicing support for AI in water and wastewater management, 34% for AI assistance in city websites and 38% for monitoring neighborhood upkeep or identifying crime suspects. Using AI to identify missing children was supported by 57% of those surveyed.
Using AI to identify crime suspects met the most opposition, with 39% against. Survey respondents opposed using AI for water and wastewater management by 37% and 27% were against using AI for assistance with city websites.
Concerns about AI bias were also present, with 40-55% of the more than 2,100 people surveyed last fall saying AI could help some while harming others, according to the report.
Nearly two-thirds of respondents said they would not allow access to their personal data. Just 22% said they would if it were used by local governments to improve AI.
“Detroiters are approaching the use of artificial intelligence in local government with caution rather than enthusiasm,” stated Mara Cecilia Ostfeld, research associate professor of public policy at the university and co-author of the report. “Many residents remain unsure about the benefits of these technologies, and concerns about data sharing are particularly pronounced.”
As AI proliferates, many local government leaders are exploring it, but just 16% have ongoing AI pilot projects and less than 2% are broadly deploying AI across departments, according to an Euna Solutions survey published earlier this year.
That survey found that using AI for efficiency gains is the top goal of municipal leaders. But Detroiters surveyed may still need some convincing, according to Yucheng Fan, report co-author and data manager at the Detroit Metro Area Communities Study.
“When we asked Detroit residents about the potential for AI to improve government efficiency, transparency, and accountability, the survey found efficiency was the most persuasive benefit of AI, but Detroiters still were not widely convinced,” Fan said in a statement. “Between 20% and 30% of residents were neutral about efficiency gains in different scenarios, which suggests efficiency alone does not lead to broad public buy-in.”
A high percentage of those “unsure” about AI operations also demonstrated the need for clarity surrounding the technology.
“If the city hopes to expand the use of AI, it will be important to first build trust by clearly explaining how these systems will be used and how residents’ information will be safeguarded,” Ostfeld said.
