La Mesa became the first city in East County to join the GovAI Coalition in hopes of getting ahead of technological trends and risks.

The GovAI Coalition began as an idea by the city of San José in 2023.

Since then, hundreds of cities and municipalities nationwide have joined. La Mesa became the first city in East County to become a part of the coalition.

Councilmember Genevieve Suzuki spearheaded the effort to get La Mesa on board the artificial intelligence group.

“Artificial intelligence isn’t just coming to local government; it’s here,” Suzuki said. “Whether we’re ready or not, AI is being integrated into municipal operations, from traffic management, to permit processing to public safety systems.”

Cities across San Diego County have already implemented artificial intelligence policies. The Chula Vista City Council recently permitted police officers to use the tool to develop reports. Other cities have implemented policies to protect residents’ data privacy.

Membership to the group offers the city “collective wisdom” on artificial intelligence, Suzuki said, allowing La Mesa to develop “responsible AI policies” in a collaborative way.

She was particularly interested in protecting residents’ data privacy, while maintaining transparency and accountability surrounding technological advancements.

“We need to be a part of the conversation and we need access to the resources in real time so that we can confront issues and be proactive versus reactive,” Suzuki said. “If we are reactive, obviously, it increases the chances of litigation.”

Joining the coalition will keep city officials informed on fluctuations in artificial intelligence technology that not only affects residents, but also their own responsibilities as elected officials.

For example, she said city officials could be responsible for providing their conversations with artificial intelligence tools for a Public Records Act. As technologies advance, she said the group will keep city officials informed on best practices to keep residents and themselves protected from privacy issues.

“We owe it to our constituents to be transparent about how we’re using AI,” Suzuki said.