Mayor Gina Ortiz Jones Takes San Antonio's Data Center Debate National on PBS Tonight
Mayor Gina Ortiz Jones joins former Sen. Joe Manchin III and former CNN anchor Campbell Brown on PBS's Breaking the Deadlock at 8 p.m. on KLRN, debating who controls artificial intelligence - two days before City Council votes on data center rules she helped draft.
San Antonio Mayor Gina Ortiz Jones will be one of eight panelists on the PBS series Breaking the Deadlock, airing Tuesday at 8 p.m. on KLRN, CultureMap San Antonio reported. The episode, titled "AI: Who's in Control?," puts Ortiz Jones alongside former U.S. Senator Joe Manchin III and former CNN anchor Campbell Brown.
The series, moderated by UC Davis law professor Aaron Tang, asks panelists from across the political spectrum to debate hypothetical scenarios rooted in real issues - in this episode, the impact of data centers and AI surveillance from Flock cameras, among other topics. "Breaking the Deadlock brings together people from across the political spectrum in a way that requires them to go beyond the usual talking points and speak to our core values as Americans," Tang said when the series premiered, in remarks carried by CultureMap. The approach earned Boston public broadcasting group GBH an Emmy nomination.
The national appearance lands in the middle of San Antonio's own data center fight. In late September, three environmental groups sued data center developer Vantage and energy supplier VoltaGrid, alleging that two West Side facilities had been built without required permits, pollution-control measures and public input. The City Council is expected to vote Thursday, Oct. 29, on proposed data center amendments to the Unified Development Code - including one drafted by Ortiz Jones - addressing community concerns such as noise and water usage. Viewers who miss the broadcast can stream the episode on KLRN's website or through the PBS app.
