Artificial Intelligence

Lawmakers introduce consolidated AI bill package

The American Leadership in Artificial Intelligence Act takes provisions from previous bills and the 2024 Bipartisan AI Task Force report to move forward AI policies with support from both sides of the aisle.

California’s health insurance marketplace further expands AI for document verification

Covered California said the tech will now be used for more than two dozen document types to speed up checking eligibility while reducing fraud, waste and abuse at the same time.

Maine governor vetoes landmark data center ban

Janet Mills said the moratorium bill, which would have banned data centers larger than 20 megawatts until Nov. 2027, did not take into account a popular local project.

When AI explains local government, authority gets blurred

COMMENTARY | Summaries can be a useful tool to show residents what is happening inside agencies. But leaders must be cautious when using them to ensure that vital information doesn’t get lost or misinterpreted.

Nonprofit launches forum to help city leaders leverage AI effectively

The AI and Emerging Technology Forum will serve as a platform for local leaders to learn about and pilot new AI tools and use cases.

DeSantis pressures House to pass AI Bill of Rights, references FSU shooting

“I think voters are going to look and say, ‘Why are you siding with big tech against the people of this state?'”

College students using deepfakes to harass could be investigated, punished under proposed law

A Louisiana legislative committee has advanced a bill that would add the creation of deepfakes to a list of punishable offenses for college students and employees.

Mississippi law school is the first in the Southeast to require AI education

While the school has other AI classes, a general course is now mandatory for all first-year students.

California students author new ‘digital wellness’ bill, say phone bans fall short

Assembly Bill 2071 would require California schools to include social media and AI use in health classes.

This data center is getting a $77 million tax break to create one job

No other project in the country has gotten such a large subsidy to create so few jobs, according to watchdogs.

Nonprofit puts up $10M to help agencies test AI tools for benefits modernization

The Center for Civic Futures will offer funds to agencies looking to design and test their tech solutions to operational problems with their benefit systems.

Amid artificial intelligence explosion, Illinois lawmakers debate best path to regulate

The state already has some laws in place, but legislators raised concerns about the harm AI may still be causing consumers.

Virginia governor amends bills that shift costs onto data centers. Critics say her tweaks weaken them.

As negotiations continue around whether the tax exemptions for data centers will remain, Spanberger removes adding new costs onto that customer class.

Data centers hit the ballot this year

Residents in a Wisconsin city already passed a measure to restrict their development, while others may follow, including a statewide effort in Ohio.

Maine is set to ban data centers, becoming the first state in the nation to do so

The legislation still requires the Governor’s signature to become the law, but it represents a growing bipartisan concern among voters over potential energy rate hikes and water usage.

The good, the bad and the unknown: The future of AI in North Carolina

Leading experts in research, government and industry innovators gathered at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill campus this week to discuss how artificial intelligence can be responsibly designed and used for the public good.

Public-facing AI tools could yield more efficiency gains for states, report says

States should not underestimate the time and cost savings that external artificial intelligence-based tools can generate for government agencies, one expert said.

How public records requests could help ‘fight AI with AI’

Agencies are burdened with growing numbers of requests and more records to manage and parse through. Emerging technology offers a way forward for beleaguered staff.

World needs to ‘get ready’ for more powerful AI, Anthropic co-founder says

The company’s powerful Mythos, unveiled earlier this month, won’t be the only supercharged AI system to hit the market, Jack Clark said.

North Carolina Treasurer’s office expands use of AI throughout the agency

The State Employees Association of North Carolina cautioned that AI’s effect on workers is “a great unknown.” Its adoption in other sectors has sometimes been accompanied by job losses.