Artificial intelligence should not be thought of as a technology that decides in place of humans, but
as a tool that can help to better understand, better organise and better serve, under human oversight,
with transparency and responsibility.
What are we talking about?
Artificial intelligence refers to a set of technologies capable of analysing information, identifying
patterns, generating content or helping to formulate answers. It is already present in many everyday
uses: machine translation, search engines, recommendations, digital assistants and writing aids.
But AI is not human intelligence. It does not understand the world like a person, has no moral
judgement and can produce errors. This is why its use in public services must be governed. Useful AI
is AI whose purpose, limits, data and conditions of human oversight are known.
What AI can change for a city
At city level, artificial intelligence can be useful if it addresses concrete needs. It can help
guide residents through their procedures, make certain content more accessible, translate or simplify
information, support employees in summarising tasks, or analyse aggregated data to better understand
the needs of the area.
However, AI must not become a black box. It must remain a support tool, under human oversight, with
clear objectives and strong guarantees. In public services, efficiency is not enough: equal treatment,
transparency, data protection and the ability to understand decisions must also be ensured.
The red lines of public service
AI and inclusion: avoiding new blind spots
Artificial intelligence can become a tool for inclusion when it helps translate, simplify, guide or
make information more accessible. It can facilitate the understanding of complex procedures and
support people facing linguistic, administrative or digital obstacles.
But AI can also create new blind spots. If it is designed without taking the diversity of situations
into account, it can respond poorly to certain audiences, reproduce biases or reinforce inequalities.
Inclusive AI must therefore be tested, explained, supported and always complemented by human
solutions.
AI, employment and local skills
Artificial intelligence is already transforming the world of work. It changes certain tasks, creates
new skills needs and requires everyone to develop a stronger digital culture. At local level, this
transformation must be supported so as not to widen the gap between those who master these tools and
those who endure them.
Training people in AI does not mean training everyone to become an engineer. It means providing
reference points: understanding what a tool does, knowing how to check an answer, protecting one’s
data, identifying risks, using AI in a useful way and keeping a critical mind. It is a matter of
empowerment, employment and equal opportunity.
Generative AI: opportunities and vigilance
Generative AI refers to tools capable of producing text, images, summaries, code or other content
from a user request. These tools can be useful for preparing a draft, rephrasing a document,
translating information or making content more accessible.
But they must be used with caution. Generative AI can invent information, produce credible errors or
reproduce biases present in its training data. It therefore replaces neither verification, nor
editorial responsibility, nor human judgement. In public services, this vigilance is essential.
Should AI be feared?
Concerns about artificial intelligence are legitimate. They relate to employment, civil liberties,
data protection, discrimination, surveillance and the loss of human contact. These questions must not
be dismissed: they must be placed at the heart of any responsible approach.
AI should not be accepted because it is modern, nor rejected because it is new. It must be assessed
against simple criteria: is it useful? Is it understandable? Is it controlled? Does it protect
rights? Does it genuinely improve the service provided?
Frequently asked questions