A Fulton County commissioner has raised questions about whether legislation introduced by two colleagues on the county board was written using artificial intelligence, prompting a broader conversation about how AI tools are being used in local government.
Commissioner Dana Barrett ran proposed ordinances and resolutions filed by commissioners Marvin Arrington Jr. and Bob Ellis through an AI-detection tool called GPTZero, which flagged several of the documents as likely machine-generated based on formatting, tone and word choice. A separate analysis by Capitol Beat using the same tool reached similar results, finding it highly likely that at least three of the proposals were AI-authored.
Ellis said he used technology tools to research and refine his ideas and had the county attorney's office review his work, but did not specify whether AI had written the resolution itself. Arrington said AI use is already widespread across government, business and other professions, and that officials who do not learn to use the technology responsibly risk falling behind. Neither commissioner denied using AI tools in preparing the documents.
One of the proposals, addressing food insecurity and community gardens, failed in a vote at this week's commission meeting. Two other items were held for a future meeting, as was Ellis's ethics resolution.
Both commissioners said Fulton County needs clearer guidance on how artificial intelligence can be used in drafting public policy. Arrington said he is preparing a comprehensive county policy on AI use, developed in part with the help of AI tools.
Source: Rough Draft Atlanta -- https://roughdraftatlanta.com/2026/09/19/fulton-county-ai-legislation-controversy/