State officials have found they are using six high-risk AI-like systems. One year ago, they reported using zero.
artificial intelligence
Posted inLatest News
California judges are testing a new AI clerk, and you won’t know if it’s looking at your case
Courts in Los Angeles and Riverside counties are testing an artificial intelligence tool and deciding whether it can be used in high-stakes criminal cases.
Posted inPolitics & Policy
After AI layoffs, Newsom orders state government to find ways to ease the pain
In an executive order, California Gov. Gavin Newsom called on state officials to study everything from job subsidies to stock compensation policies to mitigate tech-driven layoffs stemming from the use of artificial intelligence.
Posted inLatest News
California turns to AI as whale deaths spike
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.
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.
