Author Archives: Tessa Zavala

31 community innovation hubs

31 community innovation hubs were announced by the Biden Administration to advance a range of technologies, including autonomous systems, quantum computing, biomedicine and green energy. Organizations include state and local governments, educational institutions, businesses and community groups in 32 states and Puerto Rico. 1/3 of the hubs must benefit small and rural communities. Route Fifty […]

the first local government a.i. program

New York City became the first major local government to create an a.i. action plan for responsible municipal government use of artificial intelligence. It includes a.i. literacy programs, streamlined and specific procurement guidelines to support agency-level contracting, and the “potential to better deliver vital services while protecting New Yorkers’ privacy and concerns about bias.” Route […]

a.i. use by elected officials

Imagine an elected official who uses artificial intelligence to create videos of themselves explaining policies in languages that they don’t speak. Is that a deep fake prohibited by law?  Is that a means of communicating with constituents? What are the ethical considerations surrounding this? no one knows. AP | Can New York’s mayor speak Mandarin? No, but with […]

prohibiting employer access to employee personal social media

 Assembly Bill 836 (2023 | NY), signed by Governor Kathy Hochul,  prohibits an employer from accessing an employee’s or job applicant’s personal social media. The Governor’s office called the bill a means to  “protect the privacy of New Yorkers and protect their rights in the workplace.” Governing | New York Can No Longer Access Workers’ […]

defining a.i.

Is there a consistent statutory definition of artificial intelligence? No, of course not, can elected officials agree on the color of the sky anymore? So let’s look at 6 different a.i. definitions: Connecticut SB 1103: An “artificial system that ‘performs tasks under varying and unpredictable circumstances without significant human oversight or can learn from experience […]

social media & elected officials & the US Supreme Court

 The Supremes (the Justices, not the musical group) are going to rule on whether elected officials can block constituents on social media. The impact of the ruling(s), there are two cases before the court, is expected to impact state laws on the matter. Route Fifty | Should public officials be allowed to block constituents on […]

local government use of geographic information systems

 Denver’s mayor is putting geographic information systems to use to identify potential public lands that can be used as micro communities for Denver’s homeless. GIS allows for layered data to identify viable locations. Data includes slope, proximity to city services, ecological vulnerabilities and size. Route Fifty | Cities turn to GIS mapping to find housing for […]