Agenda Summary
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That the City of Somerville adopt the Artificial Intelligence Ordinance as detailed within.
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Official Text
CITY OF SOMERVILLE
ORDINANCE NO. 2026-
IN CITY COUNCIL: ________, 2026
Be it ordained by the City Council, in session assembled, that Chapter 2 of the Code of Ordinances of the City of Somerville is amended as follows by inserting the following Article X.
ARTICLE X. OVERSIGHT OF ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE SYSTEMS
Sec. 2-515. - Use of artificial intelligence systems.
(a) An artificial intelligence system (AI System) is a computational system that generates predictions, risk scores, classifications, recommendations, content, summaries, or decisions using a computational process derived from machine learning, natural language processing, artificial intelligence techniques, or other computational processing techniques of similar or greater complexity, rather than explicit human authored rules. A city department, agency, board, commission, or office (city body), or a third party acting on behalf of a city body (city agent), may not acquire for use, or use, an AI System used in any of the following ways:
(1) law enforcement action, including arrest, search, investigation, assignment of a civil penalty, referral for prosecution, or creation of an official law enforcement record, such as a police report, incident summary, or investigative note, that may be used in a subsequent legal proceeding; or,
(2) determination of eligibility for, access to, or continuation of city employment, or social services or resources including public benefits, housing assistance, grants, or constituent services.
(b) An application or system that includes AI functionality as an optional feature, such as a word processor, GIS system, or graphic design tool, may not use the AI functionality in the ways disallowed in subsection (a).
(c) An AI System that causes or contributes to disparate outcomes on the basis of race, color, or national origin may not be used.
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