Technology

AI

Has California Created A Free Speech Problem?

He is deliberating whether to sign or veto Senate Bill 771, which would impose civil penalties of up to $1 million against social media companies that knowingly or recklessly aid their users in violating the state’s hate speech and civil rights laws. “Hate speech” isn’t mentioned by name, but the bill contains references to ...
AI

Read the latest from PRI's Free Cities Center

Cities should rethink their zeal for subsidizing AI data centers

Kate Gallego has had it. In her 2025 State of the City address, Phoenix’s mayor called on lawmakers to eliminate Arizona’s special tax treatment for “new data centers.” Calling it “a holdover from a time before our economy was the magnet for job growth that it is today,” Gallego declared ...
Blog

Read the latest from PRI's Free Cities Center

Freedom v. efficiency: Hangzhou’s City Brain Can Improve Efficiency, But Raises Many Questions

Editor’s Note: In Part 3 of the Free Cities Center series, Serlet looks at an AI program that offers some benefits, but raises much more serious questions. Hangzhou’s City Brain In 2020, the city of Hangzhou in China announced that it had developed a “City Brain.” Hangzhou is an ancient ...
Blog

Read the latest from PRI's Free Cities Center

Freedom v. efficiency: How automating driver’s licenses offers benefits, but creates some risks

Editor’s Note: In Part 1 of Serlet’s series on municipal automation, he looked at a generally unobjectionable use of AI technology: Chicago’s restaurant-inspection program. As he explained:  There are countless mundane things that municipal governments do. These might include processing building permits, collecting residential taxes or distributing school supplies to ...
Blog

Read the latest from PRI's Free Cities Center

Freedom v. efficiency: The benefits and dangers of automating municipal government services

There are countless mundane things that municipal governments do. These might include processing building permits, collecting residential taxes or distributing school supplies to needy families. Many of these services are provided inefficiently. They also require large expensive staffs. The rise of technologies such as artificial intelligence (AI) has created an ...
Blog

The future is now: Robots take aim at urban gridlock

Machines already flip burgers, fry potatoes and slice avocados for lunch. Some even deliver meals. While it’s still a bit of a novelty, especially to those who see for the first time a food-bearing wheeled robot roll by them on the sidewalk, it appears they are about to become far ...
Election

Bartlett Cleland – All Things Tech in Sacramento and Washington

As we conclude our look back at the 2024 legislative session, PRI senior fellow in tech and innovation Bartlett Cleland joins us for a look back at this year’s big tech debates on issues ranging from AI to how social media companies are disrupting traditional media outlets.  We also explore ...
Blog

City HAL 9000: Do cities overpromise AI’s benefits?

Denver is using it to “speed up the approval and delivery of … coupons” that allow “residents to recycle televisions, monitors and other electronics at a discount.” The Regional Transportation Commission of Southern Nevada is using it to “understand traffic patterns and safety issues at select intersections in the Las Vegas Valley.” ...
Business & Economics

Instead Of The CHIPS Act Congress Should Address Patent Troll Abuse

President Biden and Democratic Party leaders are trying to take credit for seeding the next generation of innovations in the information technology sector. Crowing about their latest industrial policy, the CHIPS and Science Act, Senator Schumer stated that “the federal government [is] taking back the reins, putting money where its mouth is ...
Blog

What a Web AG Bonta Weaves

With good reason, we are encouraged to understand history, but for some, perhaps, the temptation to repeat past mistakes is just too great. The ancient Greek philosopher Plato described sophists, paid philosophers often involved in public works, as those who twisted words and truth to win arguments. According to the ...
AI

Has California Created A Free Speech Problem?

He is deliberating whether to sign or veto Senate Bill 771, which would impose civil penalties of up to $1 million against social media companies that knowingly or recklessly aid their users in violating the state’s hate speech and civil rights laws. “Hate speech” isn’t mentioned by name, but the bill contains references to ...
AI

Read the latest from PRI's Free Cities Center

Cities should rethink their zeal for subsidizing AI data centers

Kate Gallego has had it. In her 2025 State of the City address, Phoenix’s mayor called on lawmakers to eliminate Arizona’s special tax treatment for “new data centers.” Calling it “a holdover from a time before our economy was the magnet for job growth that it is today,” Gallego declared ...
Blog

Read the latest from PRI's Free Cities Center

Freedom v. efficiency: Hangzhou’s City Brain Can Improve Efficiency, But Raises Many Questions

Editor’s Note: In Part 3 of the Free Cities Center series, Serlet looks at an AI program that offers some benefits, but raises much more serious questions. Hangzhou’s City Brain In 2020, the city of Hangzhou in China announced that it had developed a “City Brain.” Hangzhou is an ancient ...
Blog

Read the latest from PRI's Free Cities Center

Freedom v. efficiency: How automating driver’s licenses offers benefits, but creates some risks

Editor’s Note: In Part 1 of Serlet’s series on municipal automation, he looked at a generally unobjectionable use of AI technology: Chicago’s restaurant-inspection program. As he explained:  There are countless mundane things that municipal governments do. These might include processing building permits, collecting residential taxes or distributing school supplies to ...
Blog

Read the latest from PRI's Free Cities Center

Freedom v. efficiency: The benefits and dangers of automating municipal government services

There are countless mundane things that municipal governments do. These might include processing building permits, collecting residential taxes or distributing school supplies to needy families. Many of these services are provided inefficiently. They also require large expensive staffs. The rise of technologies such as artificial intelligence (AI) has created an ...
Blog

The future is now: Robots take aim at urban gridlock

Machines already flip burgers, fry potatoes and slice avocados for lunch. Some even deliver meals. While it’s still a bit of a novelty, especially to those who see for the first time a food-bearing wheeled robot roll by them on the sidewalk, it appears they are about to become far ...
Election

Bartlett Cleland – All Things Tech in Sacramento and Washington

As we conclude our look back at the 2024 legislative session, PRI senior fellow in tech and innovation Bartlett Cleland joins us for a look back at this year’s big tech debates on issues ranging from AI to how social media companies are disrupting traditional media outlets.  We also explore ...
Blog

City HAL 9000: Do cities overpromise AI’s benefits?

Denver is using it to “speed up the approval and delivery of … coupons” that allow “residents to recycle televisions, monitors and other electronics at a discount.” The Regional Transportation Commission of Southern Nevada is using it to “understand traffic patterns and safety issues at select intersections in the Las Vegas Valley.” ...
Business & Economics

Instead Of The CHIPS Act Congress Should Address Patent Troll Abuse

President Biden and Democratic Party leaders are trying to take credit for seeding the next generation of innovations in the information technology sector. Crowing about their latest industrial policy, the CHIPS and Science Act, Senator Schumer stated that “the federal government [is] taking back the reins, putting money where its mouth is ...
Blog

What a Web AG Bonta Weaves

With good reason, we are encouraged to understand history, but for some, perhaps, the temptation to repeat past mistakes is just too great. The ancient Greek philosopher Plato described sophists, paid philosophers often involved in public works, as those who twisted words and truth to win arguments. According to the ...
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