Thursday, February 26, 2026 |
Photo – Carbon County Courthouse – Bigfoot99 file photo
County officials discussed the need for an AI policy to guard against privacy breaches.
During the February 17th Board of Carbon County Commissioners meeting, Commissioner John Espy described a recent discussion with the Cheyenne–Laramie County Economic Development Joint Powers Board. Commissioner Espy said the Joint Powers Board addressed a new AI data center under construction in Laramie County and how the project may affect local electricity and water supplies.
AI, or artificial intelligence, uses advanced computer programs to process, interpret, and generate human‑like text. These models are trained by analyzing billions of sentences, either drawn from the internet or provided by developers. Those developers also determine if the model is using the information in a human‑like manner. The systems constantly take newly provided information to iterate and improve their responses.
Later in the meeting, Commission Chairman Travis Moore used Espy’s remarks to raise the possibility of controlling the use of AI by county employees. Moore suggested two options: creating a new policy or amending the county’s existing computer regulations to address the technology.
Chairman Moore acknowledged that AI can be beneficial in certain situations. However, the Commission chairman said use of the technology increases the likelihood of an accidental data breach.
Chairman Moore said large corporations have already enacted restrictions on AI and added that local governments may want to consider doing the same.
County IT Director Matt Webster said his department has been discussing AI use extensively. Webster reiterated Chairman Moore’s point that any information given to an AI model can be accessed by the developers and other users.
Webster added that AI is a powerful tool with potential unintended consequences. The county IT director said he is focused on establishing rules to stop an AI‑related data breach before it occurs.
Commission Chairman Moore said county employees would require comprehensive AI safety training to ensure the technology is used responsibly. IT Director Webster said he would rather stop data breaches before they happen and is in talks with vendors to set up AI control measures on county systems.
