The city of Palo Alto has rolled out an AI chatbot on the city’s website, furthering the city’s use of AI.
The program, called CityAssist, is powered by Citibot, a company headquartered in Charleston, S.C., is aimed at helping residents get answers 24/7, according to a statement from the city.
Go to https://www.paloalto.gov/Home and the link to the chatbot should appear on the bottom right side of the screen.
The chatbot is able to help users figure out how to pay utility bills or submit public records act requests, but may still need to learn somethings about civics. When asked “who is in charge?” the bot replied “In Palo Alto, the city manager is responsible for providing strategic leadership and professional management to the city government organization. The city manager works with the city council to develop and implement policies to maintain and enhance Palo Alto’s quality of life. The current city manager is Ed Shikada. You can find more information about the City Manager’s Office and their responsibilities on the City Manager’s page.”
The bot did not include in its answer that Shikada is hired and fired by the council, or that the council is elected by Palo Alto residents.
But the bot seemed to have a better grasp of the city’s management structure when asked “Who is (Mayor) Ed Lauing’s boss?” the chatbot responded that because he is elected, he doesn’t have a boss in a traditional sense, but is accountable to the residents of Palo Alto and works with the rest of council to govern the city while Shikada managed the day-to-day operations of the city and reports to the council.
This is the city’s latest implementation of AI.
In May, the Post reported that City Manager Ed Shikada has started using AI to help research and write his reports for council. It helped him compile a list of 44 consultant contracts totaling $27 million approved by council last year, and to brainstorm best practices in consultant management.
The city also uses AI to translate council meetings and has fire sensors in the city’s foothills that use ground-based sensors and cloud-based AI technology to detect wildfires, according to the city’s website.
This is gold. Clearly, the chatbot has not been trained in theoretical civics – it knows only the reality: here in Palo Alto, City Manager Shikada reigns supreme and Council does whatever he and his staff say to do. Jump! How high, Mr. Shikada??? Will Councilmember Burt, our seemingly permanent fixture in the dysfunction that is Palo Alto, chime in here, as in other comment sections?? We can only hope Mr. Shikada lets him!!
I wonder if the chatbot knows that City Manager Shikada was asked to leave the City of San Jose for, among other things, undermining the City Council? Council loves Mr. Shikada here in Palo Alto – they made that abundantly clear with their recent unanimous renewal of his employment – with a raise in salary…the raise was even retroactive!!