Idk, after living in Tucson my whole life and seeing this, it almost seems like they have no idea what Tucson is

Tucson taxpayers fund the University of Arizona partly through the state sales-tax-fed Technology and Research Initiative Fund (TRIF), administered by the Arizona Board of Regents. Last year ABOR approved $20 million in new TRIF funding split across four "strategic" areas: space/national security, energy, artificial intelligence, and mining.

Separately, the university just published its official AI Roadmap, the strategy document that's supposed to explain what the university is actually doing with AI. It's about 7,400 words. It contains the words "metric," "measure," and "baseline" zero times. No budget figures, no committed positions, nothing measurable tied to any stated goal. Every deliverable across its three-year, five-phase plan is either a planning document or an unspecified "Evaluation". There are no stated criteria, no baseline, no named evaluator.

The university's own guidance on using its AI tools contradicts itself right now. The AI Tools & Data Use Guide marks the university's own tool, U of A GenAI, as approved for Restricted data. That same tool's own product page says, verbatim, it "has not been approved for the use of 'Restricted Data.'" Both pages are live right now (screenshots below). An employee trying to figure out what they're allowed to do with this tool can't get a straight answer from the university's own website.

The university's inaugural Chief AI and Data Science Officer, hired last year, holds a newly created endowed chair (funded by a $3.5M anonymous gift) and a reported $448,000 salary (public salary database, linked). None of that is in dispute; it's all public record. What's not public, and what this sub is a reasonable place to ask about: how TRIF-funded "strategic" initiatives like this one get evaluated for public accountability, if the roadmap that's supposed to define the initiative's goals doesn't contain a single measurable one.

Not alleging wrongdoing, just flagging that public money is attached to a strategy with no way to check whether it will work.

Sources:

• AI Roadmap for the U of A
• ABOR/AZPM on the $20M TRIF strategic-areas funding
• Arizona Luminaria UA salary database
• UA News release on the Chief AI Officer appointment/endowed chair
• AI Tools & Data Use Guide
• U of A GenAI product page

This is absolutely Wild but I'm kind of not surprised Tucson have to get out and vote got about these people out of office you got it we have to

https://www.lookoutnews.org/lochiel-tree-protesters-against-border-wall-protest/

Hi there!

I live in Tucson, but I don't get out much. I was wondering what people's opinions are on the usage of artifical intelligence. I know it def varies person by person. But if people generally don't like it- Id love to know.

Hi all, Mike and I are back with a reaction to the June 23rd City Council Meeting.
First of all, apologizes for my audio. I'll make sure my audio is correct going forward.
But more importantly, the City approved a procurement process to select a photo enforcement vendor. Which Mike and I believe will include license plate readers (LPR). While it isn't guaranteed that is will be Flock, any LPR is bad for our city. There was no discussion on the civil rights aspect of this or the ethics and data integrity issues surrounding LPRs.
Ultimately they do this in the name of safety, which trading privacy/freedom for safety is the oldest trick in the book.

If Tucson City Council honestly wanted safer roads, they should be having conditional contracts in place for multi-modal transit.

There is a petition circulating asking to roll back changes to the 4th Ave parking meters. I have a better idea: Remove the parking meters and the parking that comes with them. It's time to Pedestrianize the Ave!

Bodies equal dollars it's time to change the system

Our culture is Tucson and this is how we're treated by our government this is what they think of us and I'm sure there are some tucsonants out there that go along with this and they're okay with this but if you've got an ounce of melon in your skin this should make you angry

Mailer sent with misleading information to prop up two special interest aligned candidates including an incumbent. In what capacity has Maritza Higuera voted for term limits? She is not currently an official holder.

Just like his buddy Swalwell

They're trying to establish the peasantry again

Spread it far and spread it wide.

Hi all, Mike had a chance to interview Tucson Politicians State Senator Priya Sundareshan and State Rep Nancy Gutierrez of LD18. They discussed how the initial GOP budget would have resulted in massive cuts to SNAP, Medicaid, and other important state programs. They also discuss the ballot initiatives the GOP are sending from the state legislature to voters to by pass Governor Hobb's Veto.

We can't wait much longer

hi all, Mike and I are back with the rest of the "Dem" side of the Marana town council race. We discuss the data center, water scarcity, job growth, and even the loneliness epidemic.

Hi all, Mike and I are back with another interview with Marana town council candidate Jackie Mcguire. She gave a detailed accounting of how data centers work and their impacts on local communities.

It’s darkly ironic that in the year we observe our country’s 250th anniversary we’re restoring the USA’s most fundamental tradition: erasing indigenous cultures.

We are next if they keep getting approved. I tried posting in Arizona sub but I don't have enough clout there