A new policy to help staff with proper use of artificial intelligence is in the pipeline for Invercargill City Council.

On Monday, the council's finance and policy committee gave the green light to an Artificial Intelligence (AI) Use Policy, meaning it will now pass to full council for a final decision.

A report prepared for the meeting showed AI was a “rapidly developing area of technology” that could help the council while also presenting risks.

Council information management manager Rebecca Clark acknowledged AI was already a routine part of working life.

“And we see this with new releases of software coming through that council already uses, having AI features," she said.

“So really it is an inevitable part of working with council these days.”

The draft policy had been developed to provide a framework for safe and secure use at the council, the report said.

It revealed approved use of AI had been limited to specific cases, and staff were instructed not to use any private, sensitive or confidential information with generative AI tools.

Early discussions about AI had mainly focused on privacy and data security, but increased use across New Zealand councils had brought attention to accuracy and reliability, the report said.

Principles included in the policy were transparency, accountability, fairness and equity, privacy and security, lawfulness and ethics, and continuous improvement.

The policy would be reviewed in one year and again every six years.

Earlier this month, a Carterton District Council committee adopted a policy warning users to exercise caution when using AI-generated content.

LDR is local body journalism co-funded by RNZ and NZ On Air