Whales have often gone unnoticed by mariners, but an artificial intelligence-powered detection network launched this week is designed to track them day and night. The effort comes amid an alarming rise in gray whale deaths in the greater San Francisco Bay Area.
artificial intelligence
Posted inBusiness & Technology
Data centers are guzzling California’s water. We have no idea how much
Data centers are expanding into water-stressed California communities, but lax disclosure rules keep the public in the dark about actual usage.
Posted inEducation
Cal State struck a deal with OpenAI. Some students and faculty refuse to use it
California State University’s $17 million contract with ChatGPT maker OpenAI is up for renewal. Some students and faculty say equal access to artificial intelligence is important for preparing students for the workforce. Others say the implementation of AI tools has been confusing and opens the door to cheating.
Posted inPolitics & Policy
Tech giants are spending more than ever to shape California politics. See how much
Tech giants involved in AI and cryptocurrency spent $39 million last year to influence California lawmakers and policy. It’s the start of what could be a spending blitz in the upcoming election.
Posted inOpinion from Community Voices
UCSC’s college system and core courses are humanities’ best defense
UC Santa Cruz historian Kiva Silver is worried about the future of the university’s college system and the core courses at UCSC. He believes the courses, usually taken in students’ first year on campus, are essential to preserving a human-centered liberal arts education as a bulwark against AI. The courses, he writes, should not be sacrificed as the campus works to overcome a structural deficit of about $87 million. The courses and living-learning communities are part of UCSC’s original 10-college system and, he argues, foster critical thinking, belonging and the type of intellectual community that has always nurtured humanity. If students never ask “who am I?”, he writes, how will they be able to differentiate themselves from machines?
Posted inEducation
California colleges spend millions on faulty AI systems: ‘The chatbot is outdated’
California community colleges are spending millions on artificial intelligence-powered chatbots that students say often give inaccurate answers. Many might see upgrades this year.
Posted inFood & Drink
Salty Otter owner says AI logo uproar has ‘crushed’ her lifelong dream
Following a wave of online criticism and one-star reviews from locals, The Salty Otter Sports Grill replaced its colorful, AI-assisted otter logo with a stark black-and-white design.
Posted inEducation
AI images scandalized a California elementary school. Now the state is pushing new safeguards
Adobe’s artificial intelligence generated sexualized images in response to prompts for a fourth grade book project. The incident coincided with the release of new state guidelines to prevent harmful AI in schools.
Posted inPolitics & Policy
Modern parenting means apps for sports, school and more. Where is the data going?
California is a national leader in data privacy, yet state law has gaps that allow companies to collect and sell students’ data. A new bill from Assemblymember Dawn Addis aims to add protections.
Posted inHealth & Wellness
Can AI help make homeless Californians healthier?
A California company is using artificial intelligence to help diagnose homeless Californians. The technology promises better access to health care, but it also raises questions.
