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April 29 Newsletter: The city's AI PSA

Weather: Thunderstorms are possible this afternoon, with rain likely. High of 71.

On this date in 1980, a grand jury indicts Richmonder August Moon on a charge of offering City Council candidate Frank Wilkins a bribe to leave a competitive race. Charges are later dropped after two jury members vote against conviction.

Today's newsletter sponsored by Virginia Commonwealth University: As a top 50 public research institution, Virginia Commonwealth University has an unparalleled drive to discover, innovate and create. VCU impacts the human experience and tackles the problems of tomorrow. It's a university unlike any you’ve ever seen.

Richmond’s newest PSA was made with AI

The city paid $2,250 to an outside developer to make the video, which uses artificial intelligence to explain a Department of Public Utilities initiative instead of human actors.

🏷️
At the time the video was posted, it was not labeled as being created using AI. After an inquiry from The Richmonder, a label has since been added to the video’s description.

Mayor Danny Avula has been open in his embrace of AI, and his administration is working to write a comprehensive policy around the technology. Read more, watch the video, and learn how to spot the AI tells here.

RPS Roundup: Cell phone policy tightened to add additional guardrails

New state law prohibits cell phone use from bell to bell, which is defined as the start of the school day to the finish, including lunch and between class periods. RPS has also modified its policy to prohibit smartwatches and tablets. Also:

  • Early literacy proficiency for Richmond’s kindergarten through second grade students went up this winter compared to last winter. 
  • RPS announced it will offer summer school to pre-kindergarten to 8th grade students who demonstrate a need for additional learning support. The program had been put on the chopping block during budget discussions.
  • RPS is joining a statewide lawsuit social media companies “for the adverse impact that their products have had on young people.” Read more here.

Richmond CAO floats possibility of reducing real estate tax rate next year

Mayor Danny Avula isn’t changing Richmond’s tax rates in the pending city budget, but a top City Hall official recently hinted it could be doable next year.

Odie Donald II cautioned that he was not trying to make any “breaking news,” but his remarks were one of the Avula administration’s most direct expressions of support yet for across-the-board tax relief.

Several City Council members have been pushing for a reduction in the city’s real estate tax rate, which is currently $1.20 for every $100 of assessed value. The Council has taken several votes in the last few years on proposals to lower the rate to $1.16. Those votes have failed, which has left the tax rate unchanged. Read more here.

Today's sponsor:

VCU drives economic value across Virginia 

VCU’s academic and medical operations generate $18.5 billion in economic activity annually and support 95,000 jobs – according to a recent report examining VCU’s impact.  

“This report highlights the prodigious economic impact of VCU on the entire commonwealth,” said VCU President Michael Rao. “But beyond the data, it shows that as a major, national research institution, VCU is uniquely positioned to improve the lives of Virginians, prepare the next generation of Virginia’s workforce, heal and save patients' lives, and strengthen the social and economic fabric of the communities we serve.” Read more.

In other news

The editor's desk

Every time I hear the term AI, my first thought is not about technology, but Virginia hoops legend Allen Iverson.

Michael Phillips, founding editor
mphillips@richmonder.org

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