By Niklas Kleinworth Calls for regulating artificial intelligence (AI) have reached a fever pitch, with skeptics, the public, and even the industry itself asking for new government restrictions. We are surrounded by assertions of how AI could be abused—and how government limits would mitigate these challenges. But the reality is that new regulations often provide…
By Taylor Barkley Tennessee’s debate over data centers has produced an unusually broad point of agreement: large companies should pay for the electrical infrastructure their projects require, and that responsibility should extend across industries. In other words, companies should not get special favors. In the August Beacon Poll, 72% of Tennessee registered voters said the…
By Abigail Tacker Tennessee isn’t immune to the data center concerns sweeping the nation. The Beacon Center’s current legal case, ExoticRidge v. Hawkins County, is just one example of the backlash these projects are facing. The latest Beacon Poll asked Tennesseans what they think about incentivizing data centers to come to the Volunteer State. Unsurprisingly,…
By Justin Owen In the latest Beacon Poll, we did a deep dive into Tennesseans’ views on artificial intelligence, a hot topic of debate all over the world. As the debate rages, we wanted to hear directly from Tennesseans themselves about how they view AI. AI Usage A solid majority (58%) of Tennesseans use AI…
In a half-hearted effort to address decades of mismanagement and poor student performance, the state’s largest school district, Memphis-Shelby County Schools, released a six-page accountability plan earlier this year. But that’s nothing compared to the Comptroller, who recently released over 660 pages of a scathing audit detailing the district’s financial missteps. It doesn’t take a…
By Taylor Barkley When ice storm Fern knocked out power for more than half the state, energy stopped being an abstraction. It is hard to philosophize about the grid when the house is cold and dark. So it is no surprise that the latest Beacon Poll found Tennesseans unusually united on one subject: the power…
By Jason Edmonds Policy discussions generally focus on ideology or the hot topic of the day, but energy is such a constant in our lives it often rises above debate. Energy is ever-present when monthly bills arrive, when we fill up our vehicles, and even when we turn on the lights. That is, until we…
The Johnson City Commission recently proposed raising its property tax rate by 28-cents, soaking taxpayers with a 20 percent increase. The proposal is not driven by the typical claims of underfunded basic city services like roads, police, and fire departments, but instead by the frivolous need to fund a new aquatic center. With a price…
By Justin Owen Tennesseans have strong opinions about education in our state. That’s no surprise, as the quality of a child’s education directly impacts their future, economic prospects, and opportunities. For three years, we have tracked the public’s sentiment of K-12 education in the Beacon Poll. We have also delved deeper into education issues in…
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