Langley Township adopts AI use policy

Langley Township approved a policy governing the use of artificial‑intelligence tools at its July 27 council meeting. The policy, outlined in a report by IT director Jim Makela, cites benefits such as increased productivity and support for drafting, while highlighting risks including privacy, cybersecurity, records‑management and legal concerns.

The township is currently using GovAi and Microsoft Copilot Chat and testing limited deployments of Microsoft 365 Copilot Premium and an agentic AI tool called Open Meeting Researcher Agent. The policy stresses human oversight, privacy protection, and information‑security safeguards, requiring immediate reporting of any suspected misuse. Councillor Michael Pratt confirmed the rules apply to both staff and council members, as affirmed by chief administrative officer Chan Kooner.