AI in Action for Inclusive City Services

Andre

Welcome back to Engaging Thought! I’m Andre, and as always, I’m joined by Eric Marquette. Eric, how are you feeling today?

Eric Marquette

I’m good, Andre! Actually, I’m excited because we’re finally getting practical. Today’s all about real-world AI in city departments—no fluff, just how these tools are actually working together behind the scenes.

Andre

Right, and honestly, that’s where things get fascinating. Let’s jump in with Public Works. You know, I’m thinking back to this water main break in my hometown years ago—total chaos, folks running around not sure what was happening. We waited hours for updates, and when they came, well, they were just in English. Not super helpful for, say, my neighbor Fatima and her family who speak mostly Somali…

Eric Marquette

Yeah, and now, city teams can do better. Picture this: there’s a water main break at five in the morning. Instead of sending out one standard notice, ChatGPT can whip up quick, clear messages—one in English, one in Spanish, and one in Somali—so everyone actually gets the info. We've seen some cities rolling this out. It’s way more inclusive and efficient.

Andre

And it doesn’t stop at the message. Perplexity can check the latest EPA guidelines—so residents know if there's a boil notice, and what that really means, not just some generic advice. Then Gemini steps in to make sense of, like, twenty scattered internal work orders. It pulls it into something supervisors can actually use instead of a gigantic spreadsheet that nobody wants to sift through.

Eric Marquette

Don’t forget Grok. It’s, uh, almost like the nosy neighbor in the group, watching social media to see what questions and worries folks are posting in real time. That helps the city pivot their messaging if, say, people are spreading the wrong info or if there’s panic brewing on Facebook.

Andre

Absolutely. And, honestly, that example from my hometown is still kind of raw. Language barriers kept people in the dark—caused real anxiety. But now, AI makes it possible for cities to respond with speed and clarity…meeting people where they are. Way closer to the kind of equity we’re always talking about around here.

Eric Marquette

Talking about panic on Facebook—let’s pivot to Animal Control next, because if you’ve ever seen the local forums during coyote season, it’s a circus. Last year, in my neighborhood, misinformation about coyote sightings just exploded. One person posted a blurry pic and suddenly, everyone’s seeing coyotes behind every bush. Next thing you know, there’s this wild debate about whether the city is secretly releasing them. I mean…what?

Andre

Oh, I remember you telling me about that! It shows how quickly things get out of hand. Here’s where these AI tools shine—ChatGPT can draft a factual, easy-to-read safety sheet right away. ‘Don’t leave your pets out at night, here’s what’s normal coyote behavior’…all that. And Perplexity can surface best practices from other cities, not just someone’s opinion from down the street.

Eric Marquette

Grok might be my favorite in this space. It’s like having an automatic rumor radar. It keeps tabs on what’s bubbling up on Nextdoor, local Facebook groups, anywhere that conversation is flying fast—and will flag misinformation so Animal Control can step in and clarify before it goes viral.

Andre

And don’t sleep on Gemini here! It’s not flashy, but it organizes all those call logs and sightings. Instead of staff scrambling with sticky notes or emails, they get clear maps—so they can spot trends, like whether there’s a real increase or just more chatter.

Eric Marquette

Same goes for big new housing proposals. ChatGPT drafts presentation slides, Perplexity finds out how Seattle or Denver handled it, Gemini chews through those hundreds of pages of planning docs, and Grok tracks what people are actually worried about online. It’s way more proactive than waiting for tension to boil over at a public meeting.

Andre

It’s all about listening, right? In episode 8 we talked about goodwill—here, it’s about responding to legitimate concerns and correcting misinformation before people’s cynicism takes over. When you arm city teams with the right info at the right time, engagement turns into real connection, not just more noise.

Eric Marquette

So let’s jump into health campaigns, which might be where these tools make the biggest difference with inclusivity—and also where ethics matter most. Think about lead awareness. Communities have different histories, worries, and trusted channels. ChatGPT can write up, I don’t know, five or six versions of the same message, each tailored for Somali elders, Spanish-speaking parents, or recent college grads living in old houses.

Andre

Exactly. But you gotta be intentional about it. I always lean on what Barrett Values Centre says about starting with your ‘why’—what are you actually trying to solve? Don’t just throw every tool at every problem. Perplexity isn’t just for the fun facts, it brings in proven health guidelines or local best practices. Gemini puts all that outreach data into dashboards, so you can literally see in living color where you’re reaching people and where you’re not.

Eric Marquette

And Grok is listening for new concerns from the ground—like, if folks are worried less about the water but more about property values or feeling targeted. That’s not something an official flyer would ever catch, but you see it in the digital chatter.

Andre

What I love is, you can’t use a generic approach. We’ve talked about this before with the GARE toolkit—find the equity gaps before you ‘blast’ info. Better yet, follow Heather McGhee’s lead in “The Sum of Us”—bring in community leaders to vet every message. If it doesn’t sound right to them, go back and rewrite. That’s the only way these campaigns actually build trust instead of more distance.

Eric Marquette

I think that sums it up nicely. City teams should always ask, ‘What problem am I trying to solve?’ and THEN choose the tool—never the other way around. AI isn’t some magic solution, but with intention, it can connect, inform, and empower in a way we just couldn’t do before.

Andre

Yeah, each tool’s got a sweet spot. Use 'em to free up human brains for the moments that need a personal touch—those tough conversations, the creative part, the heart. I’m excited to see where this goes, honestly, and we'll keep digging into more ways to use AI responsibly right here.

Eric Marquette

Alright, that's a wrap for today. Andre, thanks for leading us through some real scenarios. Listeners, we’ll see you in a future episode. Andre, catch you next time!

Andre

Thanks, Eric, always a pleasure. And thank you to everyone listening—remember, keep the questions coming, and keep thinking deeply. See you all soon!