Artificial intelligence
Center of attention: Data centers are dominating Pennsylvania’s gubernatorial race
Shifting positions on data centers have become points of attack from both sides in the race for governor.
Who wins the AI race is the wrong question
COMMENTARY | If the debate focuses on who wins, people will be an afterthought. The real question is: who benefits?
A data center developer says it is committing to Kentucky governor’s data center requirements
TeraWulf, which is looking to build a hyperscale data center, said it’s committing to pay its share of taxes, follow environmental laws and “build a meaningful relationship” with the community.
Cities turn to AI to speed housing permitting
Artificial intelligence tools aim to address one of the most persistent sources of delays: incomplete applications.
AI is already on the job, and Census is keeping count
New U.S. Census Bureau data shows that AI is quickly becoming a routine workplace tool, while government leaders are finding that training, guardrails and employee-led experimentation can help turn everyday use into meaningful adoption.
Pennsylvania governor signs data center executive order. Critics say it falls short.
Josh Shapiro's executive order directs developers to comply with previously proposed standards that were introduced as voluntary.
Iowa academics launch tool to help localities weigh proposed data centers
The Iowa Data Center Decision Tool helps communities decide if data centers are right for them by identifying key questions they should ask about a project’s impact.
The data center industry’s PR blitz Is backfiring
Front group lauds purported benefits of data centers without disclosing its backer.
Data center audit lacks specifics even as Gov. Abbott, industry leaders tout it
Without key details on the audits but the eagerness to support them, policy watchers question how impactful these audits will be in curbing data center growth.
The precision pivot: The case for local, lean and governed AI
COMMENTARY | Organizations that will lead on AI adoption will not necessarily be those with the largest models or deepest budgets. They will be asking how to best deploy it.
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OpenAI Foundation gives $100 million fund state AI implementation for public health
The organization announced the launch of the Breakthroughs to Follow-Through Initiative, which will implement artificial intelligence tools in public health research work.
The great AI escape(s): Now what?
COMMENTARY | Trust in agentic AI cannot be based on faith in vendors’ marketing. Leaders must engineer, require and verify that trust exists when they purchase a product.
Report finds most data centers in urban, not rural, areas
Researchers at New York University found that 97.5% of existing data centers sit in metro areas, counter to the industry narrative that most are in rural regions.
Schools spend billions on AI, but struggle to figure out what’s worth buying
Educators and experts say districts are carrying much of the burden of vetting products on their own.
How a research paper helped spark Utah’s data center water law
What began as an effort by three fellows at the Aspen Institute resulted in a push to bring more transparency around how data centers consume water in the state.
Senate Finance panel’s top Dem proposes excise tax on new data centers
Oregon Sen. Ron Wyden’s draft white paper calls for a new tax on hyperscalers and data center operators.
As AI ‘therapists’ dish out advice, California lawmakers try to set some limits
A new bill would stop companies from marketing chatbots as therapy and force stricter oversight of AI in mental health care.
State AGs call for transparency from OpenAI after unprecedented Hugging Face hack
More than a dozen attorneys general are demanding answers from OpenAI after a cyber intrusion.
Powering the ballot: Why AI’s energy footprint is the ultimate midterm election issue
COMMENTARY | Americans are pushing back against the power demands of AI buildout. Data centers should use existing technology to ease that strain before asking for ratepayers to stump up.
How the Texas transportation department has embraced AI
From traffic management, to collecting and analyzing crash data, to helping employees be more efficient, the agency has embraced the tech and encouraged responsible adoption while doing so.
