To receive a report.

N.B. This item was brought forward at the Chairman’s discretion.

The Chairman welcomed Corey Gooch, Business Intelligence and Change Manager and Councillor Graham Marsh as Portfolio Holder for Community Safety, Leisure and Culture, and Carbon Reduction to the Meeting.

The Business Intelligence and Change Manager, presented Members with the Artificial Intelligence Policy, pages 73 to 86 of the Agenda refer.

Members were advised that Artificial Intelligence (AI) was the development of ICT systems that could perform tasks that typically required human intelligence and that as a Council, it was important to have a policy in place to set out the governance surrounding the use of AI.

The Partnership policy attached at Appendix A provided a framework for how the Council would use AI and would establish clear accountability mechanisms for managing associated risk, pages 77 to 86 of the Agenda refer.

The Portfolio Holder for Community Safety, Leisure and Culture, and Carbon Reduction commented on his disappointment on the attendance by Members at the virtual AI briefing held on the 22^nd July 2024 and encouraged that all Members attend further sessions as AI was the future and that it was essential for Members to develop a good understanding.

The Chairman queried whether the invitation for the September briefing could be reissued to Members.  In response, the Portfolio Holder for Community Safety, Leisure and Culture, and Carbon Reduction confirmed to Members that invitations would be resent and that further reminders would be issued as the briefing date approached.

Members were invited to put their comments and questions forward.

• A Member expressed dissatisfaction with communications regarding the invitations to the AI briefing hosted by Boston Borough Council and commented that more detailed understanding was required by Members before the AI policy was agreed.

• A Member supported the need for greater understanding on the utilisation of AI within the Council and highlighted that AI was considered the next industrial revolution for saving.

• A Member requested clarification on the abbreviations of SIRO and API, pages 81 and 84 of the Agenda refer.  In response, the Assistant Director – Corporate confirmed that SIRO referred to Senior Information Risk Owner which was the responsibility of Adrian Sibley.  The Business Intelligence and Change Manager further explained that API was an IT term and that full clarification of the definition would be provided in a future update to Committee Members.

• In reference to the statement in Paragraph 3.8.1 in relation to all information generated by AI must be reviewed and edited for accuracy prior to use, a Member queried whether the statement was written correctly in the event that lost time negated any possible savings.  In response, the Business Intelligence and Change Manager confirmed that information needed to be reviewed and considered and that the information generated by AI could be counterproductive.  The Business Intelligence and Change Manager further advised Members that work would be undertaken with the Chief Delivery Officer to update the wording to rectify any potentialities.  The Chairman further commented that it was important to ensure that policies were written in language that Councillors could understand.

• The Assistant Director – Corporate informed Members that a policy had been necessary before AI work was undertaken to ensure that governance controls were in place to prevent and mitigate any future risks to the authority.  The Assistant Director – Corporate presented Members with the option of deferring the approval of the policy until later in the year.

• A Member commented on the availability of a Local Government Association conference on AI which Members could access online to assist with greater understanding.

• The Chairman suggested that Members were updated on the progress of the AI policy through Members’ Point Brief.

No further comments or questions were received.

The Chairman thanked the Business Intelligence and Change Manager for his report.

Following which it was,

RESOLVED:

That the Draft Artificial Intelligence Policy be noted and that presentation to the Executive Board for approval would be deferred pending Members attendance at additional briefings on AI and consideration of the Committee’s comments by the Business Intelligence and Change Manager and relevant Portfolio Holder.