What Hoosiers Can Do About AI, Data Centers
This article provides a guide for Indiana residents on how to engage with local and state decisions concerning data center development and the broader implications of artificial intelligence. It advises citizens to monitor local government bodies, attend hearings, and inquire about project impacts such as water and electricity usage, while also highlighting state and national avenues for participation in policy-making.
This article, the fifth in a series on data centers, outlines how Indiana residents can actively engage with the local and statewide impacts of artificial intelligence and its underlying data center infrastructure. At the local level, citizens can influence decisions on rezoning, development plans, utility commitments, and tax incentives by monitoring county plan commissions, zoning boards, and city councils. They are encouraged to attend hearings, submit comments, and demand information on water use, electrical capacity, noise, and jobs from officials.
Statewide, Hoosiers can track the Indiana General Assembly, the Indiana Economic Development Corp., and the Indiana Utility Regulatory Commission, which handle legislation concerning taxes, water withdrawals, and utility rates. The Office of Utility Consumer Counselor (OUCC) encourages public comments in all IURC cases. Nationally, federal agencies and Congress shape AI and data center policy, where residents can also contact lawmakers and submit comments.
Beyond engagement, the article emphasizes the need to mitigate AI's harms through education, promoting "AI literacy" akin to media literacy to help people discern false information and biased outputs. It references guidance from UNESCO, NIST, and the U.S. Department of Education, which advocate for human oversight, privacy, disclosure, and bias review in AI systems. The article concludes by suggesting that individuals have the right to choose not to use AI and must remain responsible for their own judgment when interacting with these tools.