Rhode Island advances AI initiatives and bans grocery restrictive covenants

Rhode Island is navigating two distinct regulatory and economic shifts. The state is expanding its artificial intelligence initiatives following a 2024 directive from Governor Dan McKee to establish an AI Task Force. The state’s AI Action Plan focuses on workforce training, apprenticeships, and creating specialized hubs in sectors such as maritime technology, life sciences, and defense. However, this push faces practical challenges regarding the costs of data center power, water usage, and tax incentives, particularly as local municipalities weigh the economic benefits against infrastructure demands.

Simultaneously, Rhode Island has become the second state to ban grocery restrictive covenants. These anti-competitive contract clauses prevent new tenants from operating food stores in vacated supermarket locations for extended periods. The law aims to combat food insecurity, particularly in areas like Woonsocket, where limited supermarket access persists. Lieutenant Governor Sabina Matos noted that such covenants have historically blocked new grocers from utilizing existing, appropriately outfitted buildings, thereby maintaining food deserts.