New Britain Council Resolution Would Take on AI – But Without Much Detail 

The New Britain City Council is to consider a resolution on a high profile issue these days – artificial intelligence – with a proposal that appears short on details.

Four Republican Council members introduced the proposal, which says, “it is important that the City of New Britain stay informed and prepared as these technologies continue to grow.”

Noting that, “Artificial Intelligence (AI) and other new technologies are rapidly changing the way we work, communicate and provide services,” the proposal says, “while these technologies can provide many benefits, they also raise concerns about jobs, privacy, security, energy use and the growing need for data centers.”

But, while the resolution calls on the city to be “mindful” of AI’s, “impact on our employees, residents, privacy, cybersecurity, energy and water use, and any future development, including data centers,” the focus of the resolution appears to be limited to the city government’s own use of AI, calling for vetting its use.

The resolution appears to not offer specific positions for the city on the issue of AI data center development, and appears to sidestep specifics of the weighty questions of private and public sector job displacement from AI and the historic threat to livelihoods of nearly everyone.

The resolution is on the agenda of the September 23rd Council meeting.