Montco Aims To Serve As National Model For Handling AI

NORRISTOWN, PA — Montgomery County officials say they hope their efforts at attempting to safely harness artificial intelligence through an Advisory Council will serve as a model for the rest of the nation.

The Advisory Council, which was announced earlier this year, has had more than 100 applicants from across the private sector, academia, public service, and nonprofits.

"Because when it comes to AI, climate, and sustainability, public officials can’t afford to sit on the sidelines and watch what happens," Montgomery County Commissioner Neil Makhija said Tuesday. "We need to be part of the conversation."

Makhija also thanked Republican U.S. Sen. Dave McCormick who invited him to the Pennsylvania Energy and Innovation Summit in Pittsburgh this week.

"It was a great opportunity to have bipartisan exchange of ideas to tackle big challenges, spark innovation, and drive meaningful progress in our communities," Makhija added.

The council on "AI for Public Good" comes into fruition as technologies rapidly improve, in some cases too fast for regulatory bodies to keep up with them.

The role of the body will be to guide an inter-departmental group of county employees in "deploying artificial intelligence responsibly and ethically."

Concerns over the implementation of AI have ranged widely from privacy issues and security to impacts on education, learning, and depletion of replaced skills.

Officials say that they aim to deploy AI in all fields, including smart governance, finance, public safety, health and human services, and regulatory compliance.