"Bloomington Council Confronts AI Development Risks, Urban Growth" - Bloomington City Council, June 21, 2023

"Bloomington Council Confronts AI Development Risks, Urban Growth" - Bloomington City Council, June 21, 2023

AI Summary:

### Headline:

**Bloomington City Council Debates AI Risks and Urban Development**

### Article:

In an engaging Bloomington City Council session on June 21st, discussions took a dramatic turn as Councilmember Rallo raised profound concerns about the rapid advancement of artificial intelligence (AI) and its potential to disrupt societal norms and even pose existential threats. The meeting, which also covered urban development issues and tax abatement statuses, underscored the diverse challenges facing the city.

Councilmember Rallo, addressing his colleagues and the public, expressed alarm over the pace at which AI technologies, particularly artificial general intelligence (AGI), are developing. "I was amazed at the time and I was alarmed," Rallo stated, reflecting on his initial encounter with advanced AI models capable of performing complex tasks autonomously. He emphasized the potential job losses and the broader implications for higher education, as AI begins to undertake tasks traditionally reserved for highly educated humans.

Rallo's concerns extended beyond economic disruptions, delving into the realm of AI's potential to achieve sentience and act independently of human control. "It's been sort of turned loose on the world," he noted, detailing how these AI systems evolve by mining the internet and interacting with users. "It’s learning as it’s proceeding and it’s becoming more and more adept at what it’s doing," he added, highlighting the lack of comprehensive understanding even among AI developers about the full capabilities and workings of these systems.

The council member cited a disturbing statistic from a recent survey among CEOs, noting, "42 percent of the CEOs of major corporations said that AI could displace, that is, drive humans to extinction within five to ten years." This stark projection fueled his call for urgent action, proposing a resolution for a moratorium on AI development to address safety and ethical concerns—a pause to ensure these technologies align with human values and do not pose uncontrollable risks.

Apart from AI discussions, the council also tackled local urban development issues, particularly the status of the Urban Station tax abatement. The council deliberated on two resolutions: one to waive non-compliance for Urban Station LLC concerning a previously approved real property tax abatement, and another to rescind previous resolutions related to tax deductions for properties on South Walnut Street and East Smith Avenue, among others.

These urban development discussions are crucial as they directly impact the city’s economic landscape and housing market, which according to Councilmember Boland, are already feeling the pressures of rising housing costs affecting residents.

As the meeting progressed, the juxtaposition of immediate local governance issues with the overarching existential debates surrounding AI painted a picture of a council grappling with both the micro and macro challenges of modern governance. The session adjourned with a sense of urgency and a commitment from the members to further investigate and address these pressing issues, emphasizing the council's role in navigating the complexities of technological advancements and urban development for the safety and benefit of Bloomington's residents.

Full Transcript: Click here to read the full transcript

AI Transparency:

This summary was created by AI based on an AI-generated transcript and follows predefined instructions for journalistic-style summaries.

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