Mountain View officials are testing a new artificial-intelligence system designed to make city meetings easier to follow for residents who speak languages other than English.

The technology is being tested as a way to provide real-time translation during public meetings, potentially allowing residents to understand discussions and participate in local government matters in more than 60 languages. The initiative is aimed at reducing language barriers and making civic information more accessible to the diverse Silicon Valley community.

The pilot reflects a broader effort by local governments to use emerging technology to improve communication with residents. Public meetings often contain detailed discussions about housing, transportation, development, budgets and community services, making access to accurate information particularly important.

For residents who are not comfortable communicating in English, real-time interpretation could make it easier to follow discussions without waiting for translated material to become available later.

The technology could also help city officials reach a wider section of the community when important decisions are being discussed. Mountain View’s diverse population includes people from many linguistic backgrounds, making language accessibility an important part of public engagement.

However, the use of AI for government translation also raises questions about accuracy. Technical or legal discussions can contain terms that are difficult for automated systems to interpret correctly, meaning human oversight may remain important for sensitive or complex information.

Officials will be able to assess the system’s performance during the testing period and determine how useful it is for public meetings. If successful, the approach could provide a model for other municipalities looking for relatively affordable ways to improve multilingual access to local government.

The experiment comes as cities increasingly explore practical applications of AI beyond traditional technology industries, including public services and civic participation.