LEXINGTON, Ky. — City officials are moving forward with an artificial intelligence policy aimed at managing the risks of the rapidly advancing technology, as the Lexington-Fayette Urban County Government works to balance innovation with data protection and transparency.
The General Government & Planning Committee met Monday to review the policy that was initially crafted in October 2025 and covers the use of artificial intelligence systems across city operations. The review sparked a heated discussion about privacy protections, data security, and appropriate government use of the technology.
Council Member Curtis, who sponsored the policy review, expressed deep concerns about AI’s potential harms, citing environmental impacts, data security threats, and the concentration of control among major corporations and billionaires. “We have a responsibility to our constituents to educate ourselves about them, educate the public about them, safeguard their usage by our government and to be transparent about when, how and why LFUCG is utilizing AI,” Curtis told the committee.
Acceptable uses of AI include drafting documents, research, data analysis, and administrative tasks, according to the policy framework. However, users cannot input specific customer data, create misleading content, or allow AI to approve transactions on its own.
Chief Information Officer Rogers presented the policy details and outlined how the city differentiates between types of AI technologies. The policy emphasizes that humans must remain accountable for AI outputs, requiring employees to review results for accuracy, bias, and compliance with applicable laws and ethical standards before use. “Human in the loop is the term for that,” Rogers explained, adding that sensitive data including personal identification information and health information must never be used with AI systems without explicit approval.
The council also discussed the city’s exploration of new AI applications, including AI-assisted document review, real-time language interpretation, and AI agents that could help with residents’ requests. The city previously announced plans for Code Enforcement to use AI to identify problem neighborhoods by analyzing existing complaint data.
In a related agenda item, the committee also heard a presentation on sustainability standards for LFUCG buildings. The proposal aims to improve energy efficiency and incorporate solar readiness in city facilities through performance standards and a revolving fund for energy projects. Lexington has already established the Empower Lexington Plan as its guide for a sustainable, resilient future, which addresses energy consumption, greenhouse gas emissions, and climate adaptation.
This article was generated by AI (claude-haiku-4-5-20251001) based on source material from LFUCG Meeting Archive, enriched with 3 web searches. The original source is available at https://meetings.lexingtonky.news/meeting/6787.
