Scottsdale earns two national AI 50 Awards for innovation and responsible use of artificial intelligence

The city of Scottsdale has been recognized as a national leader in artificial intelligence, receiving two prestigious AI 50 Awards from the Center for Digital Government for its innovative and responsible use of AI to improve city services.

Scottsdale received an AI 50 Organization Award, recognizing the city as a national leader in the responsible and strategic use of artificial intelligence across government operations. The city also earned an AI 50 Project Award for its innovative Short-Term Rental AI Monitoring and Map Tool, which uses artificial intelligence, geospatial analytics and public transparency to improve compliance, support enforcement and provide residents with easy access to information about licensed short-term rental properties.

“Scottsdale is committed to embracing emerging technologies in ways that deliver real benefits for our community,” said City Manager Greg Caton. “From streamlining city operations to strengthening public safety, our teams are using artificial intelligence thoughtfully and responsibly to better serve our residents.”

Scottsdale has developed a citywide approach to artificial intelligence that brings together innovation, governance, cybersecurity, data stewardship and responsible-use practices. Through its AI governance framework, the city evaluates emerging opportunities, establishes appropriate safeguards and helps departments move promising ideas from experimentation into practical applications that support employees and the community.

Across the organization, AI is being applied to enhance service delivery and the resident experience. AI is also supporting non-emergency call operations by helping residents receive faster, more consistent information while allowing staff to focus on requests that require direct human assistance.

Additional initiatives span planning and development, public safety, data and analytics, workforce and financial operations and tools that help employees more efficiently find, understand and act on information. Scottsdale is also investing in the data architecture, governance and workforce skills needed to responsibly scale AI across city operations.

Scottsdale's award-winning Short-Term Rental AI Monitoring and Map Tool has transformed how the city monitors thousands of short-term rental properties. By combining AI with geospatial analytics, the tool has resulted in a 40% increase in short-term rental tax and licensing revenue.

The public-facing map also gives residents instant access to short-term rental license status and emergency contact information, improving transparency and making it easier for neighbors to report concerns when needed.

“Artificial intelligence is most effective when it's paired with strong governance, thoughtful implementation and a clear focus on solving real problems,” said Chief Information Officer Bianca Lochner. “These awards recognize the incredible work of our employees across the organization who are using AI to improve services, increase efficiency and create better outcomes for the community while maintaining the highest standards for security, ethics and public trust.”