What public boards need to know about AI: An infographic and guide

When local government and education leaders have honest conversations about AI, the result isn’t buzzwords — it’s perspective that shapes real decisions.

Our newest infographic, “ What public sector boards need to know about AI,” is built from real conversations with leaders in the field. They talked about how they’re using AI in their operations and organizations. They shared the hurdles they face when it comes to governing this transformative technology. And they told us where they’re at in terms of adopting AI tools and crafting AI policy.

If you’re interested in public education and local government’s key challenges related to AI, along with the benefits reported so far and steps you can take toward achieving responsible AI oversight, read on.

The foundation: what responsible AI looks like

In an ideal scenario, leaders understand how AI models work, including the benefits and risks, and transparently share this knowledge. AI policies put people at their core, with a focus on safety, effectiveness, equity and community trust.

Effective AI policies give public sector boards a framework for:

• Maintaining oversight and accountability over AI use
• Mitigating security and privacy vulnerabilities
• Addressing ethical concerns like biased algorithms, transparency issues and inequitable outcomes in service delivery

How public sector leaders are using AI right now

Over half (57%) of the leaders we talked to have already adopted AI in their organizations, with the top use cases including:

• Communications like letters, emails and notetaking
• Automation of routine tasks for increased operational efficiency, which was the top benefit for 46% of the leaders we talked to
• Enhancing community services through chatbots and virtual assistants
• Understanding data through AI-powered analysis and reporting

For many organizations, these applications are just the beginning. Leaders also expressed interest in learning more about automation, creating documents and workflows and meeting management.

“[My organization] created an AI bike map. I personally use it for clarifying emails.”

Some boards are still in the consideration stage — or not using AI at all.

“[We’re] avoiding it as much as possible,” one leader told us. Another specifically cited “mayor resistance.”

You can also download the infographic in pdf format here.

The challenges holding AI adoption back

Leaders’ top challenges for AI implementation include:

• Infrastructure issues like integration with existing systems (25%)
• People-related obstacles like resistance to change (39%) and a lack of skilled personnel (27%)
• Ethical and regulatory issues (34%)
• Data and privacy concerns (43%)

Governance is the missing piece

For public education and local government boards, AI governance lags far behind AI use.

Nearly three quarters (73%) of the leaders we talked to either told us that their board has no AI policy — or said that they’re not sure. Even more (80%) reported no AI-specific training for board members. Seventy-seven percent said their boards have not yet addressed AI’s ethical concerns.

The consequences of weak or absent AI oversight

Without sufficient AI policies, school boards and municipal councils can find themselves with:

1. Ethical concerns over biased algorithms
2. Privacy issues
3. Transparency challenges leading to public distrust
4. Inequitable service delivery outcomes
5. Security vulnerabilities
6. A lack of oversight and accountability
7. Issues with legal and regulatory compliance

Managing AI risk

Systematic, responsible AI governance spans several board functions and roles: policy, stakeholder engagement, training and awareness and risk management.

The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) and its AI Risk Management Framework RMF suggest the following four steps for managing AI risk:

1. Mapping it, to understand risks and their context
2. Measuring it through appropriate metrics
3. Responding to AI risks in priority order
4. Governing AI through policies, processes, procedures and practices that are both transparent and effective

“We are testing various uses but have strict rules around not using it to create any sort of final work product.”

Using technology for AI use and oversight

One of the safest — and most efficient — ways to get public sector leaders on board with AI is through governance technology tailored specifically for their needs, at every stage of the implementation lifecycle:

• Developing and overseeing AI policies
• Assessing risk
• Engaging stakeholders
• Administering training and awareness programs
• Enabling continuous improvement as the landscape evolves

Diligent Community offers all of this and more in one platform, with purpose-built features like Policy Publisher, Livestream Manager and a public transparency website.

End-to-end encryption and secure file-sharing enable confident communication and collaboration throughout. Meanwhile, templates based on governance best practices, automated processes, and AI-supported features that users control help board members save precious time and achieve better governance.

Let’s dive deeper

To help you on your AI adoption and governance journey, we’ve created the Diligent Community AI governance guide for local government leaders, ready to be downloaded and put to use.

Diligent Community can help

With its Policy Publisher, centralized document repository, meeting management tools, secure communications and community transparency features, this solution is purpose-built for public sector governance — and emerging technologies like AI.

See for yourself what the right technology can do. Schedule a Diligent Community demo today.