SHIRE of Mundaring reiterates that it follows the state government’s strategy on the use of artificial intelligence (AI) following questions taken on notice about its use and how the shire plans to protect residents’ data at the June 10 council meeting.

Shire President Paige McNeil said the adopted AI policy ensured responsible, transparent and ethical use of the technology.

“The policy aims to empower innovation in service delivery, enhance operational efficiency and supports data-driven decision-making while safeguarding community trust, data privacy and organisational integrity,” she said.

In Mundaring adopts new AI policy councillor John Daw raised concerns about how lightweight the shire’s policy was.

Cr Daw requested to defer the motion to July so council could delve deeper into the subject but his request was denied.

In the shire’s response to the questions taken on notice they said a thorough risk assessment ensures third party systems don’t compromise the network.

Echo News asked the shire to clarify the methods and results of the completed risk assessments.

“This includes reviewing factors such as data sovereignty, data handling practices and alignment with recognised cyber security standards,” a spokesperson said.

The spokesperson said practical testing and consultation with experts was also undertaken.

The shire did not disclose the outcomes of the assessments due to confidentiality but said they would not adopt a third-party solution unless they were confident associated risks could be managed.

Echo News also asked the shire if it was monitoring the usefulness of AI based on its statement that a policy would help realise the potential benefits of the technology but the shire did not provide a response.