Some Austin residents and elected officials are calling for new community-driven accountability and transparency standards in the city's growing adoption of artificial intelligence.

The details: Austin leaders have already pressed for oversight of city government's use of AI as the technology became more widely used. Some of that work stemmed from a 2024 resolution asking to convene a community AI advisory committee to consider issues related to privacy and data security, system transparency and reliability, public information and harm reduction. City Council also moved to establish AI ethics standards and an annual auditing program.

After a recent public feedback period, hundreds of Austinites provided feedback on the city's adoption of AI and related policies. Recommendations forwarded to city leaders this summer centered around transparency, privacy protections, public participation, human oversight, environmental justice, and equitable education about the technology.

Tim League, co-founder of Alamo Drafthouse Cinema, is expanding movie theater offerings in Austin with a new Metro Private Cinema location. League will open the private theater in the historic Baker School in Hyde Park.

Metro Private Cinema is slated to open its doors to movie lovers in spring 2027, Tim League said. 

How it works: Metro Private Cinema offers a more intimate approach to going to the movies. Viewers can choose from new releases, independent films or classics from the brand’s movie library. The theaters can hold between 4-20 people for approximately 3.5 hours. 

The experience kicks off with a multi-course family-style meal before the movie begins. As dessert is served, guests can sit in the traditional movie theater recliners and enjoy the film, Tim League explained.

Learn more: The Austin location will feature 11 individual rooms. Tim League has already built one test theater at the Baker School and will invite people to be early testers likely starting in November, he said.

• 3908 Avenue B, Austin

Free Youth Mental Health First Aid training in Travis County teaches any adult who works with kids to recognize when a young person is struggling and step in.

County mental health authority Integral Care offers upcoming virtual sessions scheduled for Aug. 19, Sept. 9, Oct. 16 and Nov. 12, each running from 8 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.

Who it’s for: Trainer Emily Hammer calls it a "gatekeeper training," designed for whoever a young person already feels comfortable with, not just mental health professionals.

How it works: The roughly four-and-a-half-hour course, capped at 30 people, walks through video scenarios and role-plays built around a five-step action plan. Certification meets Texas school-staff requirements under House Bill 3.

Austin-Bergstrom International Airport officials announced in a July 29 news release that the airport recorded its busiest month ever for passenger traffic in June, servicing 2,102,853 departing and arriving passengers.

The details: Per the release, AUS' passenger traffic growth for June 2026 was up 4.4% compared to June 2025. Data also shows that Southwest Airlines saw the most passenger traffic in June with with 916,510 passengers served, up 10.9% year-over-year. While JetBlue Airways only serviced 26,929 passengers, it had the highest year-over-year passenger increase at 241.7%. The number of Delta Air Lines, United Airlines, British Airways, Lufthansa, Copa Airlines and VivaAerobus passengers were also up year-over-year, while American Airlines, Alaska Airlines, Frontier Airlines, Allegiant Air, Air Canada, KLM Royal Dutch Airlines, Aeromexico and Sun Country Airlines saw a decrease in passengers year-over-year. WestJet had the highest dip with 2,104 passengers, down 44%.

In case you missed it: Along with ongoing multi-year expansion efforts which includes terminal and airfield infrastructure work, the airport has launched several new airline routes and accessibility initiatives in recent months.

A housing development in Pflugerville, an apartment complex in Austin and pool expansions at Veteran’s Memorial Park in Cedar Park are among the five most expensive projects filed with the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation in the Austin metro this week.

1. Carmel East Phase 4 ($529.9 million): Carmel East Phase 4 is part of the final 954-homesite expansion of the Carmel Master-planned community in Pflugerville, Texas.

2. Aluna ($75 million): This project involves the construction of 7,305 square feet of leasing office and clubhouse space for a 372-unit apartment community.

3. Veterans Memorial Pool Expansion ($10.5 million): This project includes a proposed 8,000 square-foot wave pool building, a 1,250 square-foot event building and a 3,000 square-foot splash area at Veterans Memorial Park.

4. AA AUS Lounge ($10 million): This project includes interior renovation of the American Airlines lounge in the Austin-Bergstrom International Airport.

5. Westlake Dermatology ($5 million): This project involves the construction of a 4,262-square-foot building that will be the site of a new Westlake Dermatology location.

At least 85,000 students will use Texas' new education savings accounts during the 2026-27 school year, an Aug. 3 report shows. Enrollment may grow as the school year kicks off and more families opt in to the program.

The overview: The Texas Education Freedom Accounts program gives families state funds to send their children to private schools or homeschool them, with priority going to students with disabilities and children from low-income households.

About 24% of students participating in the TEFA program have a disability, according to state data, and 80% of participants are from low-income families.

Zooming in: The largest numbers of students participating in the program live in Texas’ largest school districts, data shows. The report lists that 3,327 participants live in Houston ISD’s boundaries, followed by 2,645 participants from Dallas ISD, 2,271 participants from Northside ISD and 2,024 participants from Fort Bend ISD.

Previous state data showed that about 43% of students selected for the program had previously attended a Texas public school, although the Aug. 3 report did not include that information.