Council looks to expand AI policies, examine energy and water needs for data centers - Austin Monitor

Wednesday, April 23, 2025 by Chad Swiatecki Later this week, City Council will consider a substantial expansion of the city’s artificial intelligence oversight, incorporating detailed guidance on workforce protections, public transparency, and the environmental impacts of growing AI infrastructure. The resolution on Thursday’s agenda builds on a policy passed in February 2024, but goes further by requiring audits, defining acceptable AI uses, and mandating human oversight of AI decisions affecting city employees and operations.The proposed resolution directs the city manager to conduct a regional environmental study, in partnership with Austin Energy and Austin Water, focused on the anticipated growth of data centers over the next decade. That assessment will examine their energy and water demands, the potential impacts on utility rates and ways to promote clean energy usage and water efficiency in their operation.The policy also introduces reporting requirements on how data centers mi...