Bloomington, IN Open About 2 hours

City Performance

Regarding the proposed ordinance to ban ASI: While the concerns regarding artificial superintelligence (ASI) are valid, this proposed ordinance is legally unviable and, as a result, purely theatrical. In its current form, an outright local ban on a borderless digital technology is highly likely to fail a legal challenge in court. Because software-based models rely on global server networks and data streams, restricting their deployment within municipal boundaries places an unconstitutional burden on interstate commerce, directly violating the Dormant Commerce Clause. Furthermore, the ordinance is highly vulnerable to state preemption under the Indiana Home Rule Act and faces significant 'void for vagueness' challenges due to the shifting, ambiguous definitions of ASI. If challenged by a commercial tech entity, Bloomington taxpayers will ultimately foot the bill for defending a law that courts will strike down. If the Council wishes to take a meaningful stance on this issue, a non-binding resolution condemning the lack of federal and state oversight would be just as effective at signaling our community's standards, entirely immune to costly lawsuits, and a much safer way to pressure state and federal lawmakers into action.