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Last year saw the launch of a groundbreaking, student-assisted, multidisciplinary research project, DataStorm: Ride the Legislative Change. When completed, the project will create the first-ever artificial intelligence-enabled tool designed to track public monetary penalties and gauge their impact on those who pay them.
The tool, called InsightLegi, will track fines, fees, surcharges, and other penalties paid to public institutions—police departments, government agencies, and others—and will determine exactly where the money goes. It will also measure and report the impact on those who paid the fines.
“During the winter break, students collected financial data on 15 municipalities in Virginia and eight states,” she said. “We’re using that to create a data dashboard linking the Virginia state code to a number of fiscal and legislative functions.”
Students, she added, “will be focused on developing the tool and legislative insights on these municipalities from the data we have collected to present to state and local representative this semester.”
The creation of the ambitious tool is having an immediate impact on those participating in the project. Zona Khan, a senior in the Schar School’s Government and International Politics program, joined the team in mid-November hoping to gain hands-on experience during the three-day workshop weekend.
“I especially wanted experience in the concept of understanding how much research is required and how important it is for us to really know laws and regulations within our respected cities and states,” the Arlington, Virginia, native said. “Since I was a team lead for the advocacy and strategic communications team, I truly felt the responsibility of guiding my colleagues to effectively communicate complex data and research findings in a way that could inspire actionable change.”
As DataStorm continues its evolution, Khan said, “this project will stay with me forever, and I will continue to advocate for it, learn from it, and be there when it becomes one of the most successful AI projects of the future.
“My work with DataStorm will guide me by reminding me how vital collaboration is and how data-driven decision-making will undoubtedly pave the way for generations to come in the field of justice.”
Yasin said plans for DataStorm 2025 are in development.