County commissioners plan to integrate AI into human resources departments in 2026 to improve efficiency, training, and public service while maintaining data security.
As a new year dawns in Holmes County, county commissioners are taking steps toward new initiatives that they hope will benefit county government, its employees, and the people of Holmes County.
Commissioners are moving toward artificial intelligence.
“In 2026, we're going to expand our human resources department and we're going to learn about AI, which nobody knows about,” said Commissioner Joe Miller. “It's here. Some are great, some are easy to use, and some are not.”
Holmes County Human Resources Director Misty Burns will lead the AI implementation effort, which she said should ultimately be of great benefit to the county.
She said the committee came to her to discuss the opportunities that AI brings, and said AI is another aspect that fits perfectly into the human resources sector.
“To ensure we leverage technology to enhance the human capital that already exists and continue to provide public services in the most efficient and effective manner, we want to ensure that we have the right policies in place to ensure that we consider specific technologies that will enhance services to the public sector while maintaining the security of the county's sensitive data,” Burns said.
She said she and many others are excited about the opportunities AI provides and are excited to learn more about how to adapt the technology and content to best serve the county.
Miller said the proper use of AI will be one of the very important factors.
“Our responsibility is to keep the people of Holmes County safe,” he said. “We feel this is going to be an important part of that, and we want to be proactive rather than reactive.”
Miller said the county has an opportunity to step into a new and exciting world as the world advances in AI and technology will continue to advance in this area.
Commissioner Dave Hall praised Miller and Burns for taking the appropriate steps to advance this effort on behalf of the county and its residents.
He said laws and reforms are moving very quickly in the state right now, and the use of AI products can further advance what commissions and human resources can do for counties.
Burns said the first step in the process is to ensure the county has appropriate policies in place that county commissioners feel comfortable rolling out to other departments in the county.
She said the upcoming training will be richly planned around AI and how it can be effective for different jobs within the county's various departments.
He said as the county moves further into its use of AI, it will be a matter for the human resources department to evaluate how it can most effectively assist other departments in the county in utilizing AI.
Burns said one way AI is already being used is through Commissioner Clerk Susan See, who takes audio recordings of every board meeting. Schie now has the ability to transcribe minutes through AI, allowing them to recreate accurate minutes for each meeting without spending huge amounts of time.
“This will streamline our time and give us a fuller minutes to let the public see what we're talking about in this room,” Burns said.
Miller said the implementation of AI and its various uses will help support those in county government who care about doing the right thing in the right way while serving the county.
