08/20/2025
🌇 Nashua, NH makes US history as the first to incorporate Ai generated graphics into a municipal project. 🤖 🎨
Is this a good thing? 🤷🏼♂️
A number of communities have deployed creative projects that use Ai tech for data visualizations that are dynamic and captivating. Even still, these projects were put together by working artists who were comissioned to create.
I may be wrong, but so far as I have found, we may very well be the first to include an Ai generated graphic in a project for ongoing display.
This summer, new "Big Belly" trash compactors rolled out on Main Street. These compactors will reduce staff time collecting trash, as they compact waste with each deposit, and also send a notification when they are almost full. Collection will go from scheduled to on demand. This time savings will reduce staffing costs, decrease traffic congestion, and improve staff safety by reducing the number of trips to our bustling Main Street.
For all of those reasons, I supported the purchase of the new barrels.
That being said: Nashua is a creative community, and for me - that is one of our stronger points. We celebrate our artists, and are fortunate to have so many here in the city and region, who create, inspire, and reflect the human experience, and our vibrant shared life. They do meaningful work, and in my view - should be included in City projects whenever possible.
I would support policy to ensure that happens moving forward, and I've asked Nashua Ink Link to ask candidates in our upcoming election to share their position on the issue.
Ai is an emerging tool, and it has its uses and drawbacks. It can be useful in gathering information, exploring ideas, and finding inspiration. Over time it can help us with efficiencies, and we hope - be part of a bigger solution to improve quality of life for everyone.
Art, poetry, music, philosophy - these are things a computer can only emulate. What do we gain by handing these areas over to Ai? What do we lose?
I've reflected on this for a while - and ultimately I do believe these are questions we need to be asking ourselves, and a conversation worth having.
What do you think?
