SF Supervisors Propose Resolution Backing AI Firms Against Federal Surveillance Coercion

At San Francisco City Hall, Supervisors Bilal Mahmood and Scott Sherrill are proposing a Board resolution that supports local AI companies like Anthropic in resisting federal demands for mass surveillance and autonomous-weapons technology, a measure the original report says “affirms ethical stance against government pressure.”

The proposal arrives alongside a separate city initiative from Supervisor Hillary Ronen to map how The City uses AI. Ronen authored a transparency bill cosponsored by Supervisors Dean Preston, Aaron Peskin, Connie Chan, and Shamann Walton; Ronen called it “a very initial piece of transparency legislation” and told The Examiner, “Even our CIO has no idea what AI products The City is using.” The Examiner excerpt names Department of Health use of AI-based image-analyzing technology to confirm stroke diagnoses and Department of Technology use of AI-powered cybersecurity software to prevent and detect hacks.

San Francisco’s public docket also shows concrete AI-related spending and large tech contracts. The Sfbos excerpt includes: “240060 | 0122-24 | Accept and Expend Grant - Retroactive - San Francisco General Hospital Foundation - Children’s Health Center’s HealthySteps Program - $373,084.11” and “240130 | 0123-24 | Accept and Expend Grant - Retroactive - San Francisco General Hospital Foundation - Predictive Analytics AI/ML - $212,500.” The same docket excerpt lists major technology and infrastructure items such as “240127 | 0114-24 | Contract Amendment - Motorola Solutions, Inc. - Computer Aided Dispatch System and Mobile Computing System - Not to Exceed $44,845,036,” airport funding “240309 | 0274-24 | Accept and Expend Grant - Federal Aviation Administration - Airport Terminal Program - Not To Exceed $31,000,000,” and commercial lease modifications “240008 | 0272-24 | Lease Modification - American Airlines, Inc. - Superbay Hangar Lease No. L13-0071 - Extension of Term and Rent Increase - $7,240,000 Initial Annual Base Rent” and “240009 | 0273-24 | Lease Modification - United Airlines, Inc. - Extension of Term and Rent Increase - $5,563,768.73 Initial Annual Base Rent.”

The Board’s docket also reflects regulatory positions on automation: “240179 | 0111-24 | Supporting California State Assembly Bill No. 2286 (Aguiar-Curry, Friedman, Kalra) - Requiring a Human Safety Operator in Autonomous Vehicles with a Gross Vehicle Weight Greater than 10,000 Pounds” appears alongside the procurement and grant items, illustrating parallel tracks of defense for local AI firms and safety-focused regulation.

Panel moderator Young and public commentators have framed Ronen’s bill as part of a broader municipal movement. Young praised the measure and warned that “we can expect to see a lot more cities taking a similar pro-transparency approach,” and the Examiner excerpt notes that Anex-Ries also praised Ronen’s bill. The Examiner included captioned images placing Ronen speaking at Planned Parenthood in San Francisco on Tuesday, June 18, 2024, and the Board standing for the Pledge of Allegiance at San Francisco City Hall on Tuesday, May 7, 2024.

The original report providing the Mahmood/Sherrill resolution did not include a docket number, full text, or a calendar date for when the Board will consider the measure; those specifics are absent from the supplied material. For now, the city’s public record as presented links a proposed resolution defending companies such as Anthropic to an active docket that includes a retroactive “Predictive Analytics AI/ML” grant and a $44,845,036 Motorola contract amendment, highlighting how debates over surveillance, weapons-related technology, transparency, and large-scale tech procurement are converging on the Board of Supervisors’ agenda.