CAMDEN, NJ — The City Council is considering a law to prevent artificial intelligence technology (AI) from eliminating any of its 500 municipal jobs, a move that may set a precedent for other New Jersey municipalities.

Scheduled for introduction on Jan. 13th, sponsor, Council President Angel Fuentes, told TAPinto Camden that he believes this measure is “groundbreaking and innovative,” and Fuentes says he is unaware of any similar local law in New Jersey or anywhere else.

Fuentes describes the ordinance as “a safety net,” saying artificial intelligence is “is a reality … it’s real (and) we should not just wait until it happens.” It could be a game-changer for the Garden State.

New Jersey has no state law to prevent artificial intelligence from replacing workers in public or private sector jobs. State Sen. Troy Singleton (D–7th Dist) introduced a bill (S4867) to regulate the use of artificial intelligence and ensure that workers do not become “casualties of technological progress." Singleton's bill awaits a state committee hearing.

Camden’s ordinance, scheduled for a February public hearing and adoption, would make it law that no city jobs are “terminated, laid off, or reassigned” due to artificial intelligence technologies. The City of Camden employed 474 full-time staff as of Aug. 1, plus 112 part-time workers.

The proposed city measure does not prevent Camden from using artificial intelligence technology, but its use “may not displace part-time, full-time, contractual or seasonal human workers or diminish public oversight and accountability.”

The city’s measure notes that “unlike human workers, AI does not earn wages, pay taxes or contribute to the local economy through consumer spending and thus cannot sustain or stimulate the economic activity vital to community well-being.”

Because Camden is under state oversight, the proposed ordinance requires approval from the NJ Commissioner of Community Affairs.

Original Article