New York launches strategy for ethical AI

New York City has launched its first artificial intelligence (AI) strategy, with an emphasis on digital ethics.

It aims to help the city establish a shared understanding of AI and capitalise on the benefits while managing the risks.

The 116-page AI Strategy focuses on how to use AI to better serve residents; building AI know-how within government; modernising data infrastructure; city governance and policy around AI; developing partnerships with external organisations; and promoting equitable access to opportunities.

It is the latest in a series of initiatives that aim to make New York City ‘future-ready’, following on from the IoT Strategy and the Internet Master Plan.

“As a global epicentre of innovation, New York City has a key role to play in shaping the future of AI,” said New York City Chief Technology Officer, John Paul Farmer. “Through the NYC AI Strategy, we are setting the Big Apple on the path to make the most of artificial intelligence, to protect people from harm, and to build a better society for all. It is critical that AI be both productive and fair, and that’s why we are sending a clear message: In the age of AI, digital rights are human rights.”

The strategy drew on input from over 50 city offices, agencies and external organisations, including universities, industrial research labs, advocacy organisations, civic technology non-profits, investors, and businesses.

In action

New York is already using AI in several areas, including cybersecurity, energy bill anomaly detection, pre-trial release assessments and noise pollution monitoring.

The strategy says: “Many opportunities exist to make good use of AI in city government, but most agencies will require support to identify, assess, and realise them.”

New York is one of the cities that has created specialist roles for AI, including a Director of Artificial Intelligence and an Algorithms Management and Policy Officer but the strategy notes that AI touches or will touch almost all departments in some way eventually so ongoing skills development is necessary.

An AI Primer provides a baseline of information to help ensure decision-makers are working from a shared understanding of the technology and the issues it presents.

“The NYC AI Strategy is an important representation of New York City’s leadership in fair, responsible, and innovative use of AI in the public sector,” said Alex Foard, Algorithms Management and Policy Officer for New York City. “The report makes clear the value of shared terminology, the complexity of the dynamics of AI in action, and the need to consider the local context when managing AI applications in government.”

Cities setting AI rules

New York’s announcement follows a movement of cities taking a more proactive role in setting policies for the ethical use of emerging technology.

Recent incidents have highlighted some of the risks related to AI. In the UK during summer 2020, the government was forced to back-track on calculating A-level results based on a controversial algorithm after accusations that the system was biased against students from poorer backgrounds. Prime Minister Boris Johnson later called it a “mutant algorithm”. Elsewhere, a “landmark” ruling in the Netherlands found that a predictive AI system for detecting fraud in areas such as social security benefits contravened privacy rights.

In a press release, several city digitalisation leaders expressed support for New York’s AI strategy, including Touria Meliani, Deputy Mayor for the Digital City, Amsterdam; Laia Bonet, Deputy Mayor of Barcelona for the 2030 Agenda, the Digital Transition, and International Relations; Theo Blackwell, Chief Digital Officer, London; Christine Keung, Chief Data Officer, Mayor’s Office on Technology and Innovation, San Jose; and Cheow Hoe Chan, Government Chief Digital Technology Officer of Singapore.

“New York’s AI Strategy is a bold and inspiring example of how digital rights can find its way into the operationalisation of AI policies,” said Milou Jansen, Coordinator, Cities Coalition for Digital Rights, which New York is a member of. “It shows the way forward to many other cities around the globe who likewise support an approach grounded in digital rights.”

Criticism

However, Albert Fox Cahn, Executive Director of civil rights and privacy group Surveillance Technology Oversight Project (S.T.O.P.), said the new strategy was “whitewashing biased technology,” including the New York Police Department’s (NYPD) use of facial recognition.

In July S.T.O.P. launched legal proceedings against NYPD saying the department had not provided requested records to show that the software does not involve racial and gender bias.

“For years, the NYPD has weaponised AI against BIPOC New Yorkers, using biased and error-prone technology to undermine civil rights,” said Cahn. “We can’t map out AI’s role in NYC’s future if we won’t admit how it has been abused in the past. The city has systematically fought to hide the impact of NYPD AI…This AI strategy feels far more focused on good PR than good government.”

S.T.O.P. is supporting Amnesty International’s Ban the Scan campaign which calls for New York City to ban the use of facial recognition by government agencies, as other US cities have done.

On its website, NYPD says no one has ever been arrested solely based on a facial recognition search.

In 2019, Cahn was also critical of New York’s early attempts at AI governance.

Cities Today has contacted the city for comment.

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