Going further 3 min read
How to keep AI use visible across departments
One approved tool, an owner in each department, a shared list, and a regular review. Plus how to plan for records requests.
Part of the path We already use AI
Start with one approved tool, so AI use happens where IT can see it. Then name an owner in each department, keep a shared list of what each team uses AI for, and review use on a regular schedule. The aim is to spot what’s working, where people need help, and where sensitive information is showing up.
Why visibility comes up in local government
Sooner or later someone will ask how staff use AI. It might be council, a reporter, the union, or a resident filing a records request. “We don’t really know” is a hard answer to give in public.
Visibility also tells you where to put your effort. In GovAI, nearly half of all messages include sensitive information, and front counter requests carry more sensitive material than Finance’s. Without visibility, training goes to the departments you assume are sensitive instead of the ones that are.
Source: GovAI messages from US and Canadian local governments, to August 2026.
What “visible” means
Leaders and IT should be able to answer a few questions at any time:
- Which departments are using AI, and how often?
- Which jobs is AI being used for?
- Which of our own documents does it draw on most?
- Where is sensitive information showing up?
- Are the repeat jobs still producing good results?
Name an owner in each department
One person per department keeps track of how their team uses AI. They know which jobs run through it, who reviews the results, and what’s working. They’re also the first person staff ask when they’re stuck. At a typical GovAI customer, nearly 20 departments use it, so this becomes a network of people across departments.
Keep a shared list of what each team does
| Department | Job | What AI does | Who reviews | Owner |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Clerk | Draft resolutions | First draft from the template and council direction | Deputy clerk | City clerk |
| Procurement | Solicitations | Scope and criteria from last year’s RFP and the department’s notes | Contracts administrator | Purchasing manager |
| HR | Staff policy questions | Answers from the leave policy and collective agreement | HR generalist, monthly sample | HR director |
When one team finds something useful, others can pick it up without starting over.
Review on a schedule
Once a month or once a quarter, the department owners and IT meet for 30 minutes and look at four things:
- Use: which departments are using AI, and which aren’t yet
- Jobs: which repeat jobs are running, and whether they still pass their tests
- Sensitive information: which teams handle the most, so you know where training should go
- Gaps: questions staff keep asking that no one has answered yet
End each review with one decision: a department to support, a job to retire, or a rule to change.
Be clear with staff about what’s visible
Staff should know what leaders and IT can see. Looking at overall patterns, like which departments use AI and for what, is different from reading one person’s conversations. Say which one you do, put it in your rules, and bring HR and the union in early if you have one.
Plan for records requests
What staff write in AI about city or county business may be a public record. Decide in advance how you’ll respond when a request includes AI conversations. In GovAI, your admin sets how long conversations are kept, and when a records request comes in, our team exports the records for you.
Why an approved tool makes this possible
None of this works if staff are on personal accounts. In GovAI, the audit trail and admin controls are built in, and admins can see which teams handle the most sensitive information, so IT can see how AI is used across the organization.
Try this week
Start the shared list. Email each department head and ask for one row: the job, what AI does, who reviews it, and who owns it. The departments that can’t answer are where your first review should start.
If you haven’t yet, set your rules: Do we need an AI policy before staff start using AI?