The Mayor’s proposal shocked most of the members of the Chicago City Council, with even Budget Committee Chair Ald. Pat Dowell telling reporters she did not anticipate such an announcement. Chicago’s financial picture has been buoyed by the city’s red-hot real estate market and nearly $2 billion in federal aid designed to help the city withstand the ravages of the pandemic.
A largely unasked question is becoming glaring: Is Illinois doing all it should to use artificial intelligence to make government cost less and work better? So far, the evidence says no.