Overview:
The City of Dallas is considering the integration of artificial intelligence in its operations, with plans to use it for data-driven decision-making and process automation. However, there are concerns about the potential for bias in AI technology, particularly with facial recognition systems. The city's Chief Information Officer, Tanishia Dorsey, has acknowledged these concerns and is working to ensure that the integration of AI does not exacerbate existing biases. Additionally, the city's data centers are expected to use significant amounts of electricity and water, raising concerns about the environmental impact of A.I. data centers.
During a Dallas City Council Government Performance and Financial Management Committee briefing on March 24, 2025, the City of Dallas’ Chief Data Officer, Dr. Brita Andercheck, and the Chief Information Officer, Tanishia Dorsey, provided an “Update on Artificial Intelligence” for council members in attendance. The two city staff members began by providing a background and history on A.I. Next, the pair shared an overview on how the City of Dallas plans to integrate artificial intelligence in the near future. As reported by Fox4’s Lori Brown, Dallas City Manager Kim Tolbert envisions Dallas becoming a model city for how A.I. technology should be used and implemented.
However, an important question from Dallas City Councilman Jamie Resendez provided more context to consider. He asked, “What are we doing to ensure that the integration of A.I. into our city’s operations mitigates bias?”
The Dallas City staff presentation described that artificial intelligence, in a general sense, involves machine learning (ML), which teaches “a computer to recognize patterns by showing it lots of examples.” One type of machine learning is Supervised Learning (SL), defined as “a type of machine learning where the computer learns from labeled examples.” Another type of machine learning is Deep Learning (DL), “a smarter type of machine learning that recognizes patterns and learns on its own.” Generative AI, such as Chat GPT, is “a type of Deep Learning focused on creating new things.”
As of April 2025, ChatGPT has almost 800 million weekly active users, according to DemandSage. However, there are many ethical and environmental concerns with the widespread usage of artificial intelligence. One of the largest community-level issues is the amount of electricity and water required to power A.I. data centers.
Overwhelming the Grid
Dallas Observer’s Emma Ruby reported that North Texas is quickly becoming an A.I. data center hub. According to a 2024 Texas comptroller report, there are at least 141 data centers in Dallas and its surrounding suburbs. More alarming is that the Dallas area data centers used 591 megawatts (a megawatt is equal to one million watts) in 2024, the second most power usage in the United States. Ruby shared a quote from State Senator Nathan Johnson, explaining that Texas “can’t [meet the projected energy demand caused by data centers], not with our current grid.” With the fatal 2021 Texas grid failure still looming large in the minds of Texans, Dallas community members should be aware of what is on the horizon with the rapid growth of local A.I. data centers and their energy requirements.
As A.I. data centers consume vast amounts of water to cool their servers, Texas faces a growing environmental crisis. One where drought, extreme weather, and climate change are hitting communities of color harder than their white counterparts. Towns and cities across Texas could face severe water shortages by 2030, according to data from the Texas Water Development Board’s 2022 state water plan. Several communities in Texas lack running water, including the predominantly Black unincorporated community of Sandbranch in southeast Dallas County, and Latinx colonia communities near the Texas-Mexico border. Community members need to be informed now about these proposed policies. And how A.I. data centers will impact local water usage in the future.
Problematic Facial Recognition Software
Dallas Chief Information Officer Tanisha Dorsey also shared that the Dallas Police Department (DPD) is the only department in the city that utilizes facial recognition, which she says “is the primary place” for seeing the bias Councilman Resendez mentioned in his question. In an October 11th memorandum to Dallas City Council, DPD informed the council of the department’s new software, Clearview AI, for investigative facial recognition technology (IFRT). Chief of Public Safety Dominique Artis notified the council that DPD went live with Clearview AI technology on October 17, 2024.
Without needing City Council approval, the Dallas Police Department quietly secured a three-year, $89,000 contract with Clearview AI, paid for with grant money. Widely used by law enforcement nationwide, the technology has come under fire from the ACLU and data privacy advocates over concerns about civil liberties. According to a 2021 Gizmodo report, without DPD authorization, Dallas police officers carried out between 500 and 1,000 facial recognition searches to identify people from photos, sometimes using software installed on their personal phones, a department spokesperson confirmed. A Scientific American Report entitled “Police Facial Recognition Technology Can’t Tell Black People Apart” found that automated facial recognition used by law enforcement leads to the disproportionate arrest of Black people, driven by biased training data, misplaced trust in the technology’s accuracy, and the compounding effect of officers’ own prejudices.
Emerging Technology
The City of Dallas has an Emerging Technology page on its website that references artificial intelligence and machine learning. Dallas Parks Director John Jenkins recently shared that the city will soon add cameras and drones utilizing A.I. technology in its parks.
As Dallas and other cities consider expanding A.I. in local governance, what risks should community members be aware of, and how can they ensure the technology is used responsibly? What opportunities should community members consider, and how can they help shape a fair and equitable future?
Email me with your thoughts and concerns!
Jerry L. Hawkins is a Comcast NBCUniversal Digital Equity Local Voices Fellow. This story is part of the Digital Equity Local Voices Fellowship lab. The lab initiative is made possible with support from Comcast NBCUniversal.
