Seattle City Hall.
Parker Miles Brohm/KNKX
Lisa Qian, a former data scientist at LinkedIn and Airbnb, has been hired as Seattle's first artificial intelligence officer.
Mr. Qian will work in all 39 departments of the City and will report to the Seattle IT Director. According to job descriptionshe will be tasked with developing a citywide AI strategy, educating city staff, and establishing ethical AI standards. She will advise the Mayor and City Council on AI governance decisions and manage the rollout of various AI pilot programs across the city.
“This strategic leadership position is designed to ensure we leverage the transformative potential of artificial intelligence while maintaining the City of Seattle's values and commitment to the responsible use of technology,” Seattle's IT department said on LinkedIn.
Outgoing Seattle Mayor Bruce Harrell announced the creation of a new AI officer position in September as part of the city's ambitious Responsible AI Plan rollout. of 26 pages The roadmap calls for bringing AI to a variety of city services, including permits, 911 calls, public records, and transportation safety. The plan also includes guidelines for evaluating employee training and the effectiveness of various AI tools.
Seattle's AI plan alludes to a “workforce transition” and “organizational change” that will “inevitably create tensions” as the city's AI implementation “changes the nature of many jobs.” Asked in September what jobs in urban areas could be replaced by AI, Harrell said it was “premature” to get into specifics.
Mayor-elect Katie Wilson will replace Harrell in January. The topic of AI was not part of Wilson's campaign, and her transition team did not respond to requests for comment on how the new mayor would approach Seattle's AI plans.
In Qian's previous role, he developed a generative AI product evaluation framework that established quality standards. She also developed an AI model that can detect fraud while protecting legitimate users, the city said in a statement. Qian holds a PhD in applied physics from Stanford University.
“As a proud Seattle resident, I'm excited to apply my experience building responsible data science and AI systems to work that directly benefits our community,” Qian said in a statement. “I am committed to ensuring that AI effectively and reliably serves residents, businesses, and city operations.”
Qian's first day was December 15th.
Nate Sanford is a reporter KNKX. This article was brought to you by the Northwest News Network, a joint operation of public media organizations in Oregon and Washington.
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