Local governments are working hard to keep up with the fast pace of artificial intelligence. To help with this challenge, the Van Buren County Digital Information Department started the Michigan Local Government AI User Group. This group brings municipal leaders from across the state together to share active projects, talk about technical problems, and build smart rules for using AI safely.
The group is growing very quickly. Our very first meeting drew 27 people, and that number jumped to 41 participants for our second session. This growth shows that local leaders are excited to work together and share ideas about technology. During our latest meeting, presenters from different communities showed exactly how they are putting these new tools to work.
Oakland County: Scaling Safely with Strategy & Security
Jonathan Baugh, the Chief Technology Officer for Oakland County, shared his team’s new plan called “Enabling AI for Oakland.” His department supports 82 county divisions and over 100 local government units. A recent employee survey showed that nearly 80% of their departments are already using AI for everyday tasks like basic research, writing drafts, summarizing long documents, and transcribing audio.
To keep this widespread use secure, Oakland County uses a four-page guideline that sets strict boundaries. For example, the policy bans covert biometric scanning and stops staff from letting AI make final official decisions on its own. The county is also rolling out layered training programs. These classes range from basic tool literacy for general staff to advanced technical certifications for software developers.
The county’s technical team also showed off a secure, internal “Knowledge Platform” pilot. This tool allows workers to safely search internal county files without risking data leaks to public AI models. Their first test case is a chatbot that helps organize IT project requests. This chatbot is already expected to save their architects 15 to 20 hours of work every single week.
Northville Township: Training-Gated Access & Creative Use Cases
Shaun Nicoloff explained how Northville Township handles AI by using a volunteer innovation committee. Northville wrote a detailed 23-page governance policy that controls who can access certain types of data. To make sure everyone understands the rules, the township turned these guidelines into a mandatory one-hour training course. Employees must finish this interactive class before they are given access to the township’s secure ChatGPT Business accounts.
Northville’s current projects show how versatile AI can be when staff members are properly trained. Their team uses AI alongside automation software to speed up technology contract reviews. They also built a smarter internal website hub for employees, and they even use an AI tool to create a bi-weekly audio podcast that keeps patrol officers informed while they are driving.
Navigating the Hurdles: Costs and Data Management
While the presentations showed a lot of potential, the meeting also included an open talk about shared technical challenges. Representatives from the Great Lakes Water Authority brought up important questions about managing data. They discussed the high costs of cloud storage, the risk of duplicating files, and the best ways to update large collections of live operational data.
As more communities experiment with these tools, tech leaders are focusing on creating secure login systems that work across different city and county borders.
Get Involved & Access Shared Resources
The ultimate strength of this network depends entirely on sharing knowledge. You can learn more, join the group, and find shared files by visiting the Michigan Government AI Network Resource Hub.
Once you fill out our quick interest survey on the hub, you will receive an invitation to our upcoming meetings. That email will also include a password so you can upload your own policy drafts, prompts, and success stories to our shared community library. We are also looking for volunteers to help organize future events as the network expands.
Our user group will continue to hold online meetings every two months, and our next session is scheduled for August 25th at 10:00 AM. We are actively looking for our next round of presenters. Whether your community is testing a simple tool, writing an early policy, or building a complex workflow, your peers want to hear about it. We make sure all presentations are practical and straightforward so they are easy to follow, no matter your tech background or experience level.