TLDR: Garfield County commissioners have unanimously approved the county’s first policy to regulate how its employees, contractors, and vendors utilize artificial intelligence (AI) tools. The policy, drafted in August and adopted on October 24, 2025, aims to optimize county services and productivity while mitigating risks such as algorithmic bias, data privacy breaches, and overreliance on automation. It mandates transparency, review of AI-generated content, and prohibits sensitive data input into public AI systems.
Garfield County has taken a proactive step in the evolving landscape of technology by unanimously adopting its first comprehensive policy governing the use of artificial intelligence (AI) by its employees. The Board of County Commissioners approved the policy on Monday, October 24, 2025, following its initial drafting in August. This landmark regulation extends its reach to all county employees, as well as contractors, third-party vendors, consultants, and volunteers who leverage AI tools in their official capacities. The policy encompasses a broad spectrum of AI applications, including predictive analytics, automation tools, chatbots, and generative AI programs like ChatGPT and Microsoft 365 Copilot.
Gary Noffsinger, Garfield County’s IT manager, articulated the core objective of this initiative during an October 15 work session with county commissioners, stating, “The ultimate goal is to benefit our community and help make our services better and improve our processes. We are just at the beginning stages as a county, but we look forward to a phased approach to policy, to experimentation and to learning.”
According to the county’s IT department, the anticipated benefits of integrating AI include quicker response times, more efficient service delivery, enhanced infrastructure management, and advanced data analysis. The automation of routine tasks is also expected to yield cost savings for the county and reduce administrative burdens on staff.
AI tools are already embedded in various software applications regularly used by county personnel, such as Microsoft and Adobe products. Furthermore, the county attorney’s and assessor’s offices are actively experimenting with AI for legal research and data analysis, with other departments slated to launch pilot projects in 2026.
However, the county’s IT department also highlighted potential risks associated with AI, including algorithmic bias, job displacement, the generation of inaccurate information, overreliance on automated systems, and potential data privacy breaches. The newly implemented policy is designed to enable employees to maximize the advantages of AI while effectively mitigating these identified risks.
Key tenets of the policy emphasize that AI should serve as a supportive tool, augmenting human judgment rather than replacing it or bypassing established procedures. Transparency is a cornerstone of the new regulations, requiring employees to inform their managers about AI usage. Crucially, sensitive information, such as medical records, legal files, or protected resident data, is strictly prohibited from being entered into public AI systems unless explicit permission is granted by a department head.
For public-facing or sensitive work involving AI, the policy mandates disclosure of its use, notification to any impacted individuals, and documentation of the tool in the county’s AI inventory. The policy categorizes AI uses into low-, medium-, and high-risk levels. Examples of low-risk applications include drafting internal emails, summarizing meetings, or writing code.
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In summary, the policy outlines six general rules for AI use in county operations: AI must only be used as a supportive tool; sensitive data must never be entered into public AI tools; the use of AI must be disclosed; AI-generated content must be reviewed before use; all AI use must comply with existing laws and county guidelines; and employees must consult with the IT Department and department heads before deploying new AI tools.
