BACKGROUND
Residents Support Adoption, but Privacy Remains Paramount
Residents have a nuanced stance on the use of AI in government. While general support for AI tools is moderate, with only 38% in favor, nearly half (47%) specifically endorse their application for analyzing community input. This suggests that while there is cautious optimism about AI’s potential, there are significant concerns about how these tools manage personal data.
Privacy first: 79% of residents prioritize safeguarding their personal information in AI applications.
AI ADOPTION TRENDS AND
PRIVACY PRIORITIES
While there is growing interest in using AI tools for analyzing community input—47% of residents support this specific application—general support for AI remains limited, with only 38% in favor of broader AI implementation. This suggests that residents see value in AI when it is applied in ways that directly benefit community engagement but remain cautious about its broader use.
When it comes to AI, privacy is paramount for residents. An overwhelming 79% of respondents indicated that protecting their personal information is their top priority when considering AI applications in government.
Percentage of resident support for local government using AI by topic area:
Balancing the potential benefits of AI with robust privacy protections is critical for gaining broader resident support. Government agencies must navigate this balance carefully, ensuring that any AI tools they implement are transparent, secure, and are specifically designed to protect personal data.
PRIVACY CONCERN: Level of importance that resident personal information remain private and not accessed by AI applications.
ACTIONABLE INSIGHTS
Residents welcome AI benefits if their personal information is safeguarded.
For governments, this means that any AI initiatives must not only deliver value but also demonstrate a commitment to privacy and security from the start. Focus on transparency and security to address privacy concerns. Implement and communicate clear data protection guidelines to build trust. Use AI tools to ensure secure, transparent handling of community data.
PublicInput’s GPT Comment Analysis was developed with privacy, predictability, and admin user control as key priorities.
We’ve heard about teams manually entering public comments into AI models using personal accounts, which, while helpful, can create significant data privacy risks. The GPT Comment Analysis tool solves this by:
- Providing admins “human in the loop” control at every step of the analysis process
- Automatically removing any personally identifiable information from comments before processing
- Ensuring that comments are never used for AI model training
- Seamlessly integrating AI into existing workflows—like comment tagging—to save time without sacrificing accuracy
By focusing on transparency, security, and resident trust, governments can successfully implement AI while protecting sensitive information.
USE CASE SPOTLIGHT
How AI Streamlines Community Engagement in Planning Projects
In a recent planning project, a city received thousands of comments from residents, making it difficult for staff to identify common themes and sentiments. This overwhelming volume can lead to delays in addressing community concerns and hinder effective decision-making.
PublicInput's GPT Comment Analysis Tool improves this process by leveraging advanced AI to categorize comments, detect sentiment, and highlight recurring themes. In this case, city staff quickly identified key issues such as accessibility and safety, allowing them to prioritize these concerns in their outreach efforts. By ensuring that resident voices are accurately reflected in decision-making, the tool fosters trust among the community and demonstrates the city’s commitment to responsive governance, ultimately strengthening relationships with residents.
Watch the video below to see how PublicInput's GPT Comment Analysis works.
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