Yates County has officially adopted a new policy governing how artificial intelligence can be used by county employees and elected officials.
By an 11-1 vote, with Terry Button casting the lone no vote, the County Legislature approved the “Yates County Artificial Intelligence Use Policy” as a way to set rules for responsible, ethical, and secure use of AI tools in county operations. Legislators Jesse Jayne and George Lawson were absent.
County officials say the policy recognizes that AI can help improve efficiency, but also stresses that it does not replace human judgment. Employees who use AI are responsible for reviewing and verifying any AI-generated content before it is shared or used, and they must ensure it is accurate, unbiased, and appropriate.
Under the new rules, AI cannot be used to process or generate content that includes protected or confidential information, such as Social Security numbers, medical records, financial data, home addresses, or any information protected by privacy laws like HIPAA. Violations of that rule could result in discipline or legal action.
The policy applies to all county departments and covers any use of AI that actively generates content for internal or public distribution. It does not apply to background AI features in common software, such as spelling correction, mapping tools, or navigation systems, or to supervised machine learning used strictly for data analysis by IT.
Employees are also required to be transparent when AI is used. Any public-facing content created with AI must clearly indicate that it was AI-generated and must be reviewed by a department head or supervisor before release.
The county will limit which AI platforms employees can use for work purposes. Currently approved tools include ChatGPT, Microsoft Copilot, and Canva, with other platforms requiring approval from the Information Technology Department.
The policy also creates an Artificial Intelligence Review Committee, led by the IT Director, to monitor AI use, review potential risks, recommend policy updates, and keep pace with changes in technology.
County officials say the goal of the policy is to balance innovation with accountability, protecting residents’ data while allowing staff to responsibly use new technology to improve county services.
The policy will be reviewed regularly and updated as needed, with formal testing at least once a year to ensure compliance and effectiveness.
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