Interesting, Alarmingly Interesting - May/June 2023 Edition

 Let’s consider two relatively straightforward questions…

Q1.  What is Northants CALC?

Northants CALC stands for Northamptonshire County Association of Local Councils.  It is a non-profit organization that represents the interests of parish and town councils in Northamptonshire, England.  Northants CALC provides support and advice to parish and town councils, and it works to promote the role of local government in the community.

Northants CALC was founded in 1974, and it currently has over 200 member councils.  The organization is governed by a board of directors, which is elected by the member councils.  Northants CALC is funded by membership fees and grants.

Northants CALC provides a variety of services to its member councils, including training and development, information and advice, advocacy, networking, and events and publications.

Northants CALC also works to promote the role of local government in the community.  The organization does this by:

§  Lobbying central and local government

§  Raising awareness of the importance of local government

§  Working with other organizations

Northants CALC is an important organization for parish and town councils in Northamptonshire.  The organization provides support and advice, and it works to promote the role of local government in the community.

Here are some of the services that Northants CALC provides to its member councils:

Training and development: Northants CALC provides training and development opportunities for parish and town councillors, including training on topics such as finance, planning, and communication.

Information and advice: Northants CALC provides information and advice to parish and town councils on a wide range of topics, including legislation, policy, and best practice.

Advocacy: Northants CALC advocates on behalf of parish and town councils to central and local government.

Networking: Northants CALC provides opportunities for parish and town councillors to network with each other and with other organizations.

Events and publications: Northants CALC organizes events and publishes a range of materials to support parish and town councils.

If you are a parish or town councillor in Northamptonshire, I encourage you to get involved with Northants CALC.  The organization can provide you with valuable support and advice, and it can help you to make a difference in your community.

Q2.  Who is the Leader of West Northants Council?

The current Leader of West Northamptonshire Council is Councillor Jonathan Nunn.  He is a member of the Conservative Party and has been a councillor for the Nene Valley ward since 2011.  He was elected Leader of the Council in May 2021.

As Leader of the Council, Councillor Nunn is responsible for setting the council's strategic direction and overseeing its day-to-day operations.  He is also responsible for representing the council to the public and other organizations.

Councillor Nunn is a strong advocate for West Northamptonshire and is committed to working with partners to improve the lives of local people.  He is also a passionate advocate for local democracy and believes that councils play a vital role in serving their communities.

Now, it might surprise you to learn that the entirety of the text above in blue was generated automatically by Artificial Intelligence (AI); in this case the Large Language Model generative AI chatbot Google Bard (https://bard.google.com).   The questions were inputted, and Bard generated the answers in seconds.  The only real giveaway is the use of “z” instead of “s” in spellings, and the slightly repetitive (robotic!) nature of the text.  Other than that, it’s certainly passable.  I did delete one fact claiming that Cllr Nunn was a former police officer, which as far as I am aware is not true, so be careful what AI tells you!

The rise of AI in recent months is both fascinating and alarming.  Apparently, AI has the potential to cure cancer by 2030, but may choose to do so by eliminating humans from planet earth!  But what relevance is this to parish and town councils, you may well ask.  Well, let’s ask Bard…

Q3.  What is the impact of AI on parish councils?

Artificial intelligence (AI) is having a significant impact on parish councils in a number of ways.  AI can be used to improve efficiency, transparency, and communication.  It can also be used to better understand the needs of residents and to provide more targeted services.

Here are some specific examples of how AI is being used by parish councils:

Improving efficiency: AI can be used to automate tasks such as data entry, record keeping, and correspondence.  This can free up staff time to focus on more important tasks.

Improving transparency: AI can be used to make council meetings more accessible to the public.  For example, AI can be used to live stream meetings or to provide transcripts of meetings.

Improving communication: AI can be used to create more personalized and targeted communications with residents.  For example, AI can be used to send residents reminders about upcoming events or to provide them with information about services that are relevant to them.

Understanding the needs of residents: AI can be used to collect and analyze data about residents' needs.  This information can then be used to develop policies and services that better meet the needs of the community.

Providing more targeted services: AI can be used to identify residents who are in need of assistance. This information can then be used to provide those residents with the services they need.

Overall, AI has the potential to make parish councils more efficient, transparent, and communicative.  It can also help councils to better understand the needs of residents and to provide more targeted services.

Here are some of the challenges that parish councils face in adopting AI:

Cost: AI can be expensive to implement and maintain.

Skills: Parish councils may not have the skills or resources to implement AI effectively.

Data privacy: Parish councils need to be careful about how they collect and use data.

Bias: AI systems can be biased, which can lead to unfair decisions.

Despite these challenges, AI has the potential to be a valuable tool for parish councils.  By carefully considering the challenges and opportunities, parish councils can use AI to improve their services and better serve their communities.

Again, all the blue text above was generated by the chatbot in just seconds, but it is certainly realistic and plausible.  AI will impact the parish and town council sector just as it will impact every other sector and every part of our lives.  It is important that the sector starts “carefully considering the challenges and opportunities” and with some urgency too given the pace at which AI is developing.  Early adopters will reap the benefits.  Luddites will be left behind.

If you thought that AI is just something that the boffins are messing about with in the lab, or that its main function was enabling Alexa to tell you the weather forecast, then think again.  AI is a revolution, and it is approaching like a storm.