Lexington, Ky., Regional AI Policy Gets Specific on Staff Use

Ah, Lexington-Fayette has done it. The Urban County Government, in its infinite wisdom, has blessed us with a policy dictating how city employees can and cannot use AI. CIO Liz Rodgers gave an overview, presumably with a straight face, of rules that will surely tame the rampaging beast of artificial intelligence within the hallowed cubicles of Kentucky's second-largest city. Because nothing says 'cutting-edge AI governance' like a municipal staff memo.

One imagines the policy's key provisions: 'Thou shalt not ask ChatGPT to write your emails in the voice of a pirate' (though that would be excellent). 'Thou shalt not use AI to generate bingo cards for the next department meeting.' The specificity is staggering, yet somehow misses the point entirely. This is like regulating bicycle lanes while a fleet of autonomous trucks is about to hit the highway.

But let's not mock too harshly. This is precisely the level of AI governance we deserve: piecemeal, hyper-local, and focused on the least consequential uses rather than systemic risks. The gap between what AI can do and what regulators understand grows wider by the day. Lexington, your heart is in the right place. But maybe save the rulebook for when something actually needs regulating, and in the meantime, let the staff use the pirate voice. They've earned it.