Jerusalem is formulating a strategic move to encourage the use of AI technology

The goal of the move is to position Jerusalem as a leading city in the development of the field of artificial intelligence, making it accessible to residents and helping to adapt to the changes it brings with it.

“Artificial intelligence touches all areas of life in the city, and we see it mainly in the area of ​​services and user experience,” the chairman of the committee opened the meeting. “Artificial intelligence creates gaps and opportunities in the employment market, and has effects on the daily lives of the residents, in points that are relevant to the work of the municipality. With that, we’re off, and we’ll deal with a variety of areas that artificial intelligence is changing in the city, such as business, transportation, public health, and more. We are not here to be afraid of the phenomenon, but to understand what lies ahead and act accordingly.”

Bacher-Nathanal commented on the changes that are already taking place in the market: “Artificial intelligence is expected to replace popular jobs such as office jobs of accountants and clerks. The public systems are not used to training new skills for people who have completed a master’s degree and are now unable to find themselves. In the United States, we are already seeing a drop in placement rates at prestigious institutions such as Harvard, and young people looking for job security as electricians and plumbers.”

“change course”

“When you examine the percentage of businesses using artificial intelligence according to geographic distribution and not according to economic branches, Jerusalem – a city that has mainly jobs in the public sector – stands at a disturbing number of only four percent. In light of the fact that more than half of the jobs in the public service can be optimized through the effective integration of artificial intelligence, the public sector must change course in order to benefit from the productivity benefits of artificial intelligence,” she noted.

The discussion also examined the municipality’s situation in providing services using artificial intelligence tools, and it emerged that most of the municipality’s services are gradually increasing the use of these tools.

Throughout the discussion, other strategic initiatives and processes emerged to streamline the municipality’s work through artificial intelligence, including connections to students and educational institutions, professional training, business support, strengthening industry in the city, collaborations between departments, and more.

The chairman of the committee concluded the discussion: “Artificial intelligence brings complexities – on the one hand it has the potential to reduce gaps, but on the other hand it will dramatically change the labor market. As a local authority, the governing body closest to the residents, we need to enter the event and lead a comprehensive process. Jerusalem has all the resources to be the pioneer and leader of such a process, by virtue of being the largest city in Israel, with a strong municipality, a diverse population and opportunities to bring about change. All eyes are on Jerusalem, and from here we will take things into a broad work plan.”