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Rhode Island will be the winner if Justice Dept. drops its AI suit | Opinion

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Rhode Island will be the winner if Justice Dept. drops its AI suit | Opinion


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  • Artificial intelligence is rapidly improving and has the potential to transform the global economy.
  • Rhode Island has taken steps to position itself as a leader in AI adoption and innovation.
  • The previous federal administration’s cautious approach to AI, including lawsuits against companies using AI pricing algorithms, has hindered progress.

It is no secret that artificial intelligence ‒ technology that is streamlining everyday tasks to make them faster, safer and more efficient ‒ is the future. From detecting fraud in banking to personalizing recommendations on Netflix, to improving medical diagnoses, this tech is popping up everywhere. Between 2020 and 2024, AI models created by OpenAI ‒ the company that develops much of today’s AI technology ‒ were able to improve their score from 0% to 5% on a benchmark test that compares AI intelligence to human intelligence. Going from 5% to 76% took just a few months. With additional computational resources, that same model (OpenAI’s o3) scored an 88%. Whether the AI industry can keep up this breakneck pace of innovation is unclear, but even if all AI research stopped tomorrow, they are already powerful enough to transform the global economy.Rhode Island’s leaders have positioned our state well to reap its share of this global windfall. In May 2023, the state House of Representatives passed a resolution requesting that the Department of Administration and the Office of Information Technology evaluate the current use of AI and provide recommendations on expanding AI usage. 

Nine months later, Gov. Dan McKee issued an executive order establishing an AI task force to assess AI’s risks and opportunities across various sectors, including business, education, health care and government. 

The state Senate even created a new Committee on Artificial Intelligence and Emerging Technology, which has championed a proactive approach to AI adoption as well as close collaboration with multi-state working groups to share best practices.

It’s difficult to overstate the impact AI will have in the coming years. How much more productive could we become? Estimates vary, but the consulting firm McKinsey suggests AI could add over $4 trillion to the world economy every year ‒ the equivalent of Japan’s entire GDP. 

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Unfortunately, over the last four years, the federal government seemed more interested in containing AI than unleashing it. Its actions have hurt Rhode Island tremendously. Then-President Joe Biden’s 2023 executive order on AI emphasized caution over innovation, and his fellow Democrats in Congress introduced a bill to ban AI-powered pricing algorithms that help landlords set rents. Biden’s Department of Justice also pursued prosecutions that seemed designed to have a chilling effect on AI adoption. For example, the DOJ is suing software company RealPage ‒ whose technology is popular in Rhode Island ‒ for selling rental pricing software to property managers. They’ve also targeted several hotels that use similar tools to price their rooms. Federal prosecutors claim that these AI systems enable price fixing and drive up costs for renters, but all they really do is analyze existing market conditions. In the case of the rental and hotel algorithm example, if the prices are high, it’s because the housing supply is too low. There’s nothing AI can do about that, and using the technology as a scapegoat won’t solve the problem.

While President Trump rescinded Biden’s AI executive order, all these AI cases remain on the Department of Justice’s docket and are discouraging innovators in the state from helping to advance the AI revolution that their state representatives have worked so hard to foster. 

With the new president portraying himself as a champion of AI innovation, here’s hoping his new Justice Department will drop its campaign against pricing algorithms once the full leadership team ‒ including recently confirmed antitrust czar Gail Slater ‒ is fully operating. 

Rhode Island is ready to embrace the AI revolution. As soon as the DOJ take its thumb off the scale, we’ll be free to do just that ‒ and to enjoy all the benefits it brings.

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Glenn Loury is the Merton P. Stoltz Professor of the Social Sciences, professor of economics, and professor of public and international affairs at Brown University.



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Providence man arrested in connection to narcotics and firearms investigation | ABC6

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Providence man arrested in connection to narcotics and firearms investigation | ABC6


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PROVIDENCE, R.I. (WLNE) — Rhode Island State Police said a Providence man was arrested after police allegedly discovered multiple narcotics and a gun inside two residences on Sept. 23.

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47-year-old Joel Garcia was charged with possession with the intent to deliver over 1 kilogram of fentanyl, possession with the intent to deliver over 1 kilogram of cocaine, possession with the intent to deliver one ounce to one kilogram of methamphetamine, possession with the intent to deliver fentanyl, possession with the intent to deliver cocaine, possession with the intent to deliver methamphetamine, possession of a firearm while committing a controlled substance violation, unlawful possession of a firearm by a prohibited person, and distribution of a controlled substance in a school zone.

According to RISP, police received court-authorized search warrants for two residences in Providence in connection to a narcotics and firearms investigation.

Inside an apartment on Dresser Street, police allegedly seized 1.7 kilograms of fentanyl, 2.3 kilograms of cocaine, and 147 grams of methamphetamine.

Police also searched Garcia’s residence on Portland Street and allegedly seized one fully loaded pistol.

According to police, Garcia had allegedly used the apartment on Dresser Street to “store, package, and distribute large amounts of fentanyl, cocaine and methamphetamine.”

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Garcia was arrested and charged.

RISP, Providence police, Cranston police, North Providence police, Johnston police, the Drug Enforcement Administration, and the Rhode Island National Guard Counterdrug Program assisted in the investigation.





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The Ocean State’s Bond With Robert Redford

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The Ocean State’s Bond With Robert Redford


Millions have been mourning the death of a cinematic icon over the last week with the passing of Robert Redford at age 89.

The award-winning actor is arguably one of the most famous of all time. With over 70 films to his credit on screen and nine he directed throughout his career, Redford’s work in cinema stands out as some of the greatest.

Though only two of Redford’s movies were ever filmed in Rhode Island, the Oscar-winning actor has a deep connection with the Ocean State.

Redford’s Family Roots Near Rhode Island

Though no Redfords actually lived in Rhode Island, Robert’s family was longtime residents of Stonington, CT and several members were born in nearby Westerly, RI.

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READ MORE: ‘Sopranos’ Star Officially Becomes a Rhode Island Resident

Throughout Robert Redford’s childhood there were visits to his grandparents in Stonington, where his grandfather worked as a milkman.

Presumably this time in Stonington meant crossing the state line into Westerly on more than one occasion in his youth and perhaps led to his love of the Rhode Island seaside in later years.

Filming The Great Gatsby in Newport

During his career, Redford came to Newport in the 1970s to film The Great Gatsby at the historic Rosecliff Mansion. Decades later he returned to Rhode Island with the science fiction film The Discovery and even wrote a thank you letter to Newport,  praising their preservation efforts in the city.

READ MORE: HGTV Says You Need to Drive This Road in Newport

Though when he did ultimately settle in New England, Redford chose Weston, CT as his home for almost two decades. He purchased a home not too far from his close friend and fellow actor, Paul Newman.

Evan Agostini/Getty Images

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Rhode Island Honors Robert Redford

Rhode Island never forgot its ties to the beloved actor however. In 2002 Redford was asked to be the commencement speaker at Brown University and that same year Trinity Repertory Company awarded him a Pell Award for Lifetime Achievement in the Arts.

Just one of the many lifetime achievement awards Robert Redford would go on to accumulate during his illustrious career.

20 Stars Who Hail From Rhode Island

Rhode Island may be the smallest state in the nation, but it has been home to many celebrities. Though some have moved here, filmed here or attended school here, only a handful were actually born here. These are those celebrities.

Gallery Credit: Nancy Hall

Academy Award and Golden Globe Winners from Massachusetts

These Massachusetts natives have taken home some of Hollywood’s top honors.

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Gallery Credit: Michaela Johnson

30 Things To Do in Newport Any Time of Year

Newport has always been seen as a summer destination. Wealthy New Yorkers used to escape the city in the hotter months for this picturesque seaside spot and the label as a summer vacation destination began.

There are, however, plenty of things to do in this historic town in any season and we’ve found a few that you may want to try the next time you head to Newport.

Gallery Credit: Nancy Hall





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GoLocalProv | Sports | VIDEO: Providence’s Lassiter Scores 44-Yard TD in Vanderbilt’s Upset Over #11 South Carolina

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GoLocalProv | Sports | VIDEO: Providence’s Lassiter Scores 44-Yard TD in Vanderbilt’s Upset Over #11 South Carolina


Sunday, September 14, 2025

 

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Zell Lassiter
PHOTO: Via Vanderbilt

Providence’s Jamezell Lassiter had a big play on a huge stage on Saturday when Vanderbilt football upset #11 South Carolina. SEE 7:25 MARK.

Lassiter, who played for the Edgewood Eagles and the Mount Hope Cowboys and attended the San Miguel School in Providence, smoked the Gamecocks on a 44-yard touchdown score.

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Vanderbilt won 31-7 over No. 11 South Carolina, snapping a 16-game losing streak between the two programs. 

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Zell Lassiter PHOTO: Vanderbilt Athletics

In 2024, GoLocal sports columnist Robert McMahon wrote about Lassiter’s journey to the top Division I program:

His athletic skills impressed his San Miguel classmates. Flag football, soccer, basketball—Jamezell could do it all. He was a natural athlete.

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But the transformation of Zell, as he likes to be called, happened in the San Miguel classroom. 

READ MORE HERE

 

 

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