Liberty's Ethical Tech Institute: A New Nonprofit

0:00It's April 24th, I'm Cory with The Story, and this is Kansas News Today, your AI-powered local news. Liberties pushing forward with a massive data center for Metroblocks backed by $1.4 billion in bonds and $202.7 million in tax breaks over 25 years. As part of the deal, the developers pledged nearly $28 million over that same span to kickstart a new nonprofit called the Liberty Institute for Science and Ethics. This institute, set up at William Jewel College, dives into original research on AI, robotics and other cutting-edge tech, zeroing in on the ethics. Behind it all, Mayor Gray Canutison stresses it's got no ties to the data center firm, even though they're footing the bill. It's all about guiding how we wield these. Powerful tools responsibly. Locals at City Council meetings raise flags, questioning if the nonprofit falls under Missouri's Sunshine Law for transparency and how future board.

1:00Members get picked without public eyes on the process. They want assurance it's not just a black box. The City Council appoints the first seven board members, four of whom are council folks including the Mayor, all serving for free to align with. Liberty's vision. It's incorporated under Missouri non-profit rules, with public audits and federal tax filings like any other, think Kaufman Foundation style. Models like scholarship splits or symposium schedules are still up in the air to be hashed out later by the board. This set up keeps the tech boom rolling while betting on ethical guardrails for what's next.