Lieu Was Recently Appointed to Co-Chair Congressional Bipartisan Task Force on Artificial Intelligence

TORRANCE, CALIF., March 26, 2023 – City governments must be prepared to take advantage of the strengths of artificial intelligence while protecting their constituents from its potential harm, according to Ted Lieu, who was recently appointed to co-chair a congressional bipartisan task force on artificial intelligence (AI). Lieu, a South Bay resident, will serve as keynote speaker at the South Bay Cities Council of Government’s (SBCCOG) March 28, 2024, General Assembly titled “Artificial Intelligence: Friend or Foe for the South Bay?”

The free event is an opportunity for thought leaders to gather, share ideas and discuss important issues that impact the South Bay subregion of Los Angeles County. This year’s program will aim to demystify AI, explore the types of AI applications that could benefit local governments, as well as the potential red flags cities should consider when adopting and using the technology. The program of speakers will begin at 11 a.m. at the Juanita Millender-McDonald Community Center at 801 E. Carson Street, Carson, Calif. 90745. Registration is now closed, but to learn more about the event, visit https://southbaycities.org/event/24th-annual-general-assembly/. The interactive exhibit hall will feature AI technology and informational displays from several dozen companies including Microsoft and Google as well as public agencies. A directory of exhibitors is available here: https://southbaycities.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/2024-GA-Exhibit-Sponsor-Directory.pdf.

“There are ways in which AI can make governments more efficient, but we need to be careful about how the technology is implemented and how governments operate it,” said Lieu in a SBCCOG website article previewing the event. “One of the most important ways to get to know AI is to see it in action. I encourage anyone interested to check out AI tools for themselves to understand the immense capability of the technology. This event should be informative for those with very little AI exposure, as well those already familiar with it.”

The General Assembly is designed with elected officials, city staff, city commissioners, residents and local businesses in mind. Registration and the exhibit hall will open at 8:30 am.

Lieu will describe the benefits and risks of AI’s when it comes to cybersecurity and how cities can protect themselves from cyber harm in his talk, “Securing the AI Frontier.” As one of two members of Congress with a computer science degree, Lieu has introduced legislation to improve cybersecurity in consumer products, create a national AI commission, prioritize consumer safety in technologically advanced cars, and ensure law enforcement and tech companies protect consumer privacy.

Philip de Souza, president of Torrance-based Aurora Systems Consulting, Inc., a leading provider of cybersecurity solutions and services, will set the stage for the day’s content with a talk titled, “Unlocking the Power of AI: An Introduction to Artificial Intelligence and Generative AI.” He will aim to provide listeners with a basic understanding of the technology to prepare the audience for subsequent speakers.

Micah Gaudet, deputy city manager and chief public safety officer for the city of Maricopa, Ariz., will cover practical uses of generative AI in city work, with a demonstration of how to use ChatGPT in his talk, “Steering Creativity and Efficiency: Drivers’s Education for Generative AI.” Gaudet is creator of the first Generative AI course specifically designed for government used in more than 60 U.S. cities. He is the founder of AI in Local Government, a network of more than 220 members representing local governments worldwide.

Discussions will continue into the afternoon with “AI and the 2024 Elections,” led by Speaker Susan Gonzales, founder and CEO of AIandYou, a nonprofit that educates marginalized communities about artificial intelligence in easy-to-understand language. She previously served as a policy executive with Facebook and currently co-chairs AI Education and Awareness on President Biden’s National AI Advisory Committee. She will show the impact of deepfakes on the 2024 election.

The afternoon concludes with a panel discussion titled “AI in Cities: Balancing Progress and Responsibility.” The discussion will be led by Christopher Jordan, a senior specialist in urban innovation with the National League of Cities, and Peter Pirnejad, city manager for the Town of Los Altos Hills, Calif. Jordan researches emerging technologies and public sector innovation and has worked with governments on a local and national level. He will dive into the ethical use of AI and how cities throughout the country are using the technology. Pirnejad has served as senior director of Oracle’s Global Public Sector Industry Strategy focused on state and local government. His passion for advancing government technology has earned him innovation awards and a seat on the CivStart.org board committed to promoting innovation in government. He will share how Los Altos Hills is implementing AI policies.

The day’s discussions will be moderated by Mark Henderson, member of the Gardena City Council. Henderson was recognized as a Top-30 Technologist, Transformer and Trailblazer by the Center for Digital Education. He is regional manager for the Los Angeles Community College District.

General Assembly Benefactors (sponsors at the $5,000 level) include Chevron Products Company; The Office of Holly J. Mitchell, Los Angeles County Supervisor, 2nd District; Southern California News Group (The Daily Breeze, The Beach Reporter and Palos Verdes Peninsula News); and South Bay Association of REALTORS®. Sponsors (at the $2,500 level) include 4LEAF, Inc.; AECOM; American Dark Fiber; California State University, Dominguez Hills; Clean Power Alliance; Continental Development / Mar Ventures, Inc.; Gannett Fleming; GeoSearch, Inc.; The Easy Reader; Office of Janice Hahn, Los Angeles County Supervisor, 4th District; Kaiser Permanente; Kosmont Companies; Los Angeles County Sanitation Districts; Metropolitan Water District of Southern California; Microsoft; Rambo House; Southern California Association of Governments (SCAG); Southern California Edison; Sunflower Farms Nursery; The Energy Coalition; TransTech Engineers, Inc.; Water Replenishment District of Southern California (WRD); Watson Land Company; and West Basin Municipal Water District. For a complete list of event speakers and their bios, visit https://southbaycities.org/event/24th-annual-general-assembly/.

ABOUT SOUTH BAY CITIES COUNCIL OF GOVERNMENTS:

The South Bay Cities Council of Governments (SBCCOG) is a joint powers government agency of 16 cities and the County of Los Angeles which share the goal of maximizing the quality of life and productivity of the subregion. Within this structure, cities and Los Angeles County maintain the qualities and characteristics that make them unique and independent, while also coming together collectively to address issues of common interest for a greater good of the communities through partnership, persuasion, performance and advocacy. For more information about the SBCCOG visit http://southbaycities.org.

###