Cabrillo College and UC Santa Cruz were among thousands of schools nationwide impacted last week after a cyberattack on Canvas parent company Instructure forced temporary shutdowns of the learning management platform just as students were preparing for finals. Officials at both campuses said Canvas has since been restored.
Tech
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 inBusiness & Technology
California will soon have more than 300 data centers. Where will they get their water?
A 330-megawatt data center proposed in the Imperial Valley would need 750,000 gallons of water a day. Satisfying the thirst of 24 more facilities expected to open in the state by 2030 will be challenging, experts and officials say.
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 inLatest News
Jury finds Instagram and YouTube liable in landmark social media addiction trial
A Los Angeles jury found both Meta and YouTube liable in a first-of-its-kind lawsuit that aimed to hold social media platforms responsible for harm to children using their services, awarding the plaintiff $3 million in damages.
Posted inRecreation & Sports
Netflix swings into MLB with Yankees-Giants opening night
Netflix’s forays into live sports have already been successful with the NFL and WWE. The streamer is hoping for another home run as its partnership with Major League Baseball begins Wednesday with the opening night game between the New York Yankees and San Francisco Giants.
Posted inOpinion from Community Voices
What feminists get wrong about clickbait
Chelsey Hauge-Zavaleta spends a lot of time with clickbait. She thinks about it often, and also uses it in her viral TikTok posts about parenting. A recent meeting of the Santa Cruz Feminist Society made her question the ethics of using clickbait hooks – even if the point is to promote feminist ideas online. Here, she questions whether adopting the attention tactics of social media platforms reinforces the very systems feminists hope to resist. Used thoughtfully, she believes attention-grabbing hooks can invite deeper reflection and conversations that help parents raise critically thinking, empowered children.
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 inEducation
Seymour Studios goes live with new community science podcast
The Seymour Marine Discovery Center launched a new podcast Tuesday to connect Santa Cruz County’s scientists, problem-solvers and community members. While the new show spotlights local environmental success stories, the studio itself offers an inclusive space for anyone in the community to record and share their message, conservation-focused or not.
Posted inBusiness & Technology
This week in Santa Cruz County business: La Selva drone developer clears hurdle; funding for Scotts Valley energy company; Joby, Uber unveil new app
A key milestone for Parallel Flight Technologies, $140 million for Heron Power Electronics Company and another step forward for Joby Aviation are among the topics in this week’s look at local business from Jessica M. Pasko.