福利导在线观看 hosted U.S. Rep. Morgan Griffith at a luncheon on June 17, with the congressman speaking at length before an audience of dozens of officials from local government, business, technology, education and economic development.
Griffith, of Salem, Virginia, is the U.S. representative for Virginia鈥檚 9th congressional district, a region that includes the New River Valley and most of rural Southwest Virginia.
His hourlong talk, held at The Highlander Hotel Radford, was attended by about 70 guests, including area political leaders, university officials, local executives, advocates and others.
The congressman took a particularly decisive stance regarding the rapidly expanding profile of artificial intelligence, or A.I.
鈥淎.I. is already doing amazing things. Some of it is scary 鈥� A.I. is getting to be so good, they can fake everybody鈥檚 voice, their image 鈥� it鈥檚 amazing what it can do,鈥� Griffith noted, addressing generative A.I.鈥檚 capacity 鈥� among its considerable processing abilities 鈥� to mimic and reinterpret video and audio footage.
鈥淏ut it also can move technology, fast,鈥� Griffith added. 鈥淭he only way we're moving the economy forward and remaining number one, is we have to go ahead and recognize [A.I.] is the way of the future, and either we join or we fall back. I choose to join.鈥�
The congressman also argued that he felt the immense power demands required by A.I. advances could most immediately be served by fossil fuels, gas or nuclear sources.
鈥淲e're working on data centers across Southwest Virginia, but they're all going to need power; you're going to need power plants 鈥� and it's got to be cleaner-burning coal, cleaner-burning natural gas or nuclear,鈥� Griffith maintained. 鈥淵ou cannot use wind and solar under today's constraints.鈥�
The June 17 chat also coincided with a period of considerable uncertainty, both globally and nationally 鈥� the escalating conflict between Israel and Iran remains ongoing; such factors as federal funding reductions, immigration changes and the economic effects of the president鈥檚 tariff plans continue to unfold; and, most directly, the federal budget reconciliation bill (commonly referred to as 鈥淭he One Big Beautiful Bill Act鈥�) now stands before a Senate vote, leaving its full implications in flux.
鈥淲e'll try to sort that out as we move forward,鈥� Griffith said, acknowledging the elements that are still in play. 鈥淪omebody may want to ask me鈥� 鈥榃hat's going on?鈥� And the short answer is, 鈥榃ho knows,鈥欌�� although he did estimate an outcome on the bill would likely arrive sometime between mid-July and September.
Other points he addressed regarded federal initiatives, including $1.9 million earmarked for a pedestrian trestle that would span the New River between Radford and Pulaski County; the prospect of Brownfield pre-certification for former industrial sites; and the importance of maintaining a strong healthcare system in the face of potential changes to Medicaid.
Griffith was introduced at the top of the luncheon by President Bret Danilowicz, who told the audience of community leaders: 鈥淚t gives me heart to see this group coming together because we all care about the New River Valley 鈥� and how we pull together to make this economy work well. As a university, we know that we cannot make progress alone.鈥�
That said, Danilowicz also cited the school鈥檚 complement of 8,000 students and 500 faculty members standing behind the university鈥檚 current economic development push.
鈥淭hat spirit of partnership defines 福利导在线观看, and it鈥檚 why we鈥檙e proud to celebrate our success with local, state and federal officials because these individuals share our vision for mutual progress.鈥�