Daijiworld Media Network - San Jose

San Jose, Jul 20: Mayor Matt Mahan of San Jose, California, is setting a new trend by openly embracing artificial intelligence (AI) to improve civic services and reduce bureaucratic delays. From speechwriting to streamlining budgets and paperwork, AI tools are fast becoming part of the day-to-day governance in Silicon Valley’s largest city.

Mahan, who frequently attends events ranging from restaurant openings to tech expos, admits to using AI chatbots like ChatGPT for preparing his speeches and policy drafts—including the city’s $5.6 billion annual budget. Far from hiding it, the mayor is encouraging his 7,000-strong workforce to adopt AI to save time and eliminate repetitive tasks.

“The idea is to try things, be really transparent, look for problems, flag them, share them... and work with vendors to problem solve,” Mahan said, highlighting the experimental yet practical approach the city has adopted.

San Jose has already invested over $35,000 to purchase 89 ChatGPT licenses for city staff. One of the early adopters, Andrea Arjona Amador from the transportation department, used a customized AI assistant to secure a $12 million EV grant. She said the tool saved her countless hours, especially on evenings and weekends.

The city now plans to train 1,000 staff members—about 15% of its workforce—by next year in AI tools for tasks like bus routing, pothole complaints, and even using surveillance data to assist in crime detection.

Other Bay Area cities are also following suit. San Francisco’s mayor recently announced an initiative to give nearly 30,000 city employees access to Microsoft’s Copilot chatbot, promising clear ethical standards and privacy safeguards.

Despite concerns about AI hallucinations and misinformation—issues that have led to resignations in other California cities—San Jose’s pilot projects have so far avoided major missteps. Mahan emphasizes that human oversight remains essential.

“You still need a human in the loop. You can’t just press a couple of buttons and trust the output,” he noted.

Even as some projects elsewhere falter due to costs or unclear value, Mahan remains optimistic. “Whether it’s finance, accounting, HR, or grant writing, our employees can be 20 to 50% more productive—quickly,” he said, pointing to AI as a tool for smarter, faster governance.