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PRESS RELEASE. From San Mateo County’s District 3 Supervisor Ray Mueller’s office on Monday, January 22nd, 2024.
VIDEO. From San Mateo County Supervisor’s meeting on Tuesday, January 23rd, 2024 as a hybrid meeting.
Agenda Item #5
Adopt a resolution affirming the importance of maintaining county jobs during advancements in artificial intelligence (AI) and directing the County Executive’s Office to develop strategies to achieve this goal.
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Starts at 3:51:18
Agenda Item #5
Redwood City, CA – Tomorrow the San Mateo County Board of Supervisors will vote to adopt a resolution to ensure that as the County implements Artificial Intelligence (AI), it is used as a sophisticated tool to support County employees, but not to replace County employees. If passed, in the future if it appears a position may be eliminated for the benefit of the County due to advancements in AI, the County policy at minimum, will develop a plan to maintain the employee’s position with the County until it becomes vacant for a reason other than the implementation of the AI technology. The County will also pursue investments in AI training and skill development programs to maximize efficacy and efficiency alongside AI technologies.
According to a March, 2023 report by Goldman Sachs, “if generative AI delivers on its promised capabilities, the labor market could face significant disruption. Using data on occupational tasks in both the US and Europe, we find that roughly two-thirds of current jobs are exposed to some degree of AI automation, and that generative AI could substitute up to one-fourth of current work. Extrapolating our estimates globally suggests that generative AI could expose the equivalent of 300mn full-time jobs to automation.”
“Almost 100 years ago the economist John Maynard Keynes warned us of ‘technological unemployment due to our discovery of means of economizing the use of labor, outrunning the pace at which we can find new uses for labor’ and this AI policy, in essence, is meant to safeguard against that outcome,” said San Mateo County Supervisor Ray Mueller. “The future of work in San Mateo County, and California, will include AI but its policy makers must work to ensure that AI’s implementation retains the balance of embracing innovation, without sacrificing the prosperity of our human workforce. We must ask if technological implementation also generates new jobs and raises our collective quality of life, as opposed to just eliminating the need for workforce. This is the only way we can ensure the public health and future economic stability for County residents.”
The County leadership plans to collaborate with relevant stakeholders, including employee representatives, and other governmental bodies, to develop and implement such strategies aimed at minimizing job displacement due to AI adoption within the government structure.
“Supervisor Mueller’s resolution is the first of its kind that I know of in California; it may even be one of the first in the nation. As we continue to see technology advance, it is imperative that changes are integrated responsibly and not at the expense of a large swath of our workforce,” said Julie Lind, Executive Officer of the San Mateo County Labor Council. “I thank the supervisor for his leadership and look forward to continuing to collaborate with him on efforts to ensure the future of work remains bright for working people.”
By adopting this resolution, the County would demonstrate a forward-thinking approach that not only embraces the benefits of AI but also acknowledges the potential challenges it may pose to employment stability and underscores the commitment to inclusivity and proactive planning. The County of San Mateo plans to also conduct periodic assessments to evaluate the impact of AI adoption on employment, utilizing this information to adjust its strategies and inform additional policies to maintain County jobs.
2024 Elections
Author: Coastside Buzz
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