News / Council
Council defends ‘secret’ AI plan
Union fears job losses from automation of tasks
Mark Phillips
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Town planning and environmental monitoring could be outsourced to Artificial Intelligence under a “roadmap” being developed for Merri-bek Council.
The use of AI for a range of council tasks has been identified in an internal plan prepared by consultants.
The council says it is taking a cautious approach to the adoption of AI tools, but the main union representing council workers says it is alarmed that jobs could be lost to AI in what it has characterised as a “secret” plan.
It is understood that consultants CSIRO Data61 were engaged earlier this year to prepare options for the use of AI to replace mundane tasks.
At a workshop held on May 15, a select group of council staff were asked to vote on how to prioritise the roll out of a range of AI uses.
They were drawn from an AI pilot program options paper that had been prepared in March outlining 27 potential “use cases” for AI which were divided into three timelines from “Quick wins” that could be delivered within six months through to “Bigger bets” that would take up to three years to implement.
The “Quick wins” include routine uses of AI such as document drafting and editing, meeting summaries, translation services and drafting of social media posts.
Between six to 18 months, AI platforms could be built for roles such as resident and ratepayer inquiries, development application guidance, planning application pre-assessments, and analysing the state of infrastructure like drains and roads from photos and video.
The “Bigger bets”, that would be delivered in 18 to 36 months, include predictive modelling of rates revenue and of people who were likely to have trouble paying their rates to financial hardship, AI-assisted town planning, an “intelligent” customer service platform that would evolve from answering questions to taking actions, and monitoring of environmental data such as urban heat, flood prediction and air quality.
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After becoming aware of the AI Roadmap last month, the Australian Services Union wrote to councillors seeking clarification about the plans.
In the letter, the union said it was concerned that the roadmap was intended to replace job functions and ultimately jobs in customer service, planning, policy development, and legislative interpretation.
“Council management is sitting on a secret AI roadmap cooked up by expensive consultants behind closed doors,” ASU branch secretary Tash Wark told Brunswick Voice.
“This is a potentially massive overhaul of council services, yet it has been planned with no consultation with the very staff and community it impacts.
“The ASU has serious concerns that this blueprint is intended to replace skilled, local workers with algorithms that will degrade the vital community services Merri-bek residents rely on.”
Wark said the community should also be concerned that AI was an “energy hog” and its adoption could derail the council’s zero carbon and environmental sustainability commitments.
She called for an open public discussion about the use of AI by the council.
“Council management shouldn’t be afraid to let Merri-bek residents and the workforce have their say,” she said.
“They need to publicly explain their intentions, and put these plans on ice until they’ve actually listened to the workforce and the Merri-bek community about the serious risks of this automation push.”
ASU members at Merri-bek and seven other councils are currently embroiled in an industrial dispute with their employers over a new joint collective agreement spanning all eight councils.
In an email circulated to all council employees late last month, the council’s new chief executive officer, Kate McCaughey, confirmed planning was underway to adopt a range of AI tools.
Council CEO Kate McCaughey has accused the union of spreading misinformation about the AI plans.
But in a swipe at the union, McCaughey criticised “misinformation” and “misleading reports” about how the council was considering the use of AI, its future consequences for staff, and the services the council provided.
“Like any responsible, contemporary organisation (and most governments and Victorian councils), Merri-bek is exploring the opportunities and issues associated with AI, including ethical and environmental considerations,” she wrote.
McCaughey stressed that the council was already using AI to support service planning and delivery and pledged to keep staff informed as its rollout progressed.
The council declined to answer specific questions from Brunswick Voice but issued a statement from McCaughey that was similar to the staff email.
“Council sees AI as a tool to assist staff in thinking about how they can continuously improve their work or the vital services we provide the community,” she said in the written statement.
“Many Council staff and teams are already using AI to support service planning and delivery.
“AI usage at Council includes training on how to use AI responsibly and with awareness of environment impacts and risks.
“Given AI is constantly evolving, we will continue to monitor approaches and responses to the issues and opportunities presented by this transformative technology.”
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