The legislation would have required tech companies to test artificial intelligence for harm to society. It attracted opposition from numerous members of Congress and major AI companies including Google, Meta and OpenAI.
Tech
Posted inBusiness & Technology
California drivers can get mobile licenses on their iPhones — but they need physical ones too
California is the seventh U.S. state to adopt mobile driver’s licenses for iPhones, part of a growing push by businesses and governments to make digital IDs commonplace.
Posted inBusiness & Technology
Why Silicon Valley is trying so hard to kill this AI bill in California
Senate Bill 1047, a sprawling piece of legislation introduced by San Francisco Democrat Scott Wiener in February, offers protection to whistleblowers and citizens. The coming weeks could decide its fate.
Posted inEducation
California’s two biggest school districts botched AI deals. Here are lessons from their mistakes.
Educators can learn caution mistakes with artificial intelligence in Los Angeles and San Diego. But they also face pressure to adopt AI technology quickly.
Posted inHousing & Development
Apple says it’s funding a housing project in Santa Cruz later this year — but local officials say ‘it’s news to us’
Apple’s newsroom announced an anticipated 2024 groundbreaking for a housing project in Santa Cruz that it is funding through its new Bay Area housing initiative, but details are few. The initiative’s goal is to help developers deliver “high-quality units faster and for significantly less” than current Santa Cruz costs.
Posted inArts & Entertainment
The techie next door: New novel looks at how Silicon Valley is changing Santa Cruz
First-time novelist Olivia Gatwood used family history and her own lived experience to explore how Silicon Valley values are shaping life in Santa Cruz in her new book, “Whoever You Are, Honey.” She’ll be at Bookshop Santa Cruz to discuss it July 10.
Posted inHealth & Wellness
California is investing $500M in therapy apps for youth. Advocates fear it won’t pay off.
California launched two teletherapy apps as part of the governor’s $500 million foray into health technology with private companies. But the rollout has been so slow that one company has yet to make its app available on Android, and social workers worry youths who need clinical care won’t get referrals.
Posted inEducation
Ron DeSantis or ChatGPT? When is it cheating? UCSC chancellor on artificial intelligence in education
The emergence of ChatGPT and other generative AI applications has marked an inflection point in education, technology and beyond. UC Santa Cruz Chancellor Cynthia Larive sat down with local tech heavy hitter Guy Kawasaki for an insightful conversation about education in this new era, what Larive considers cheating and the role of a teacher in a world when knowledge sits at the tip of our keyboard.
Posted inOpinion from Community Voices
Why news organizations should rethink social media comments
Santa Cruz digital marketer Cade Wright is tired of all the angry and often toxic comments to articles posted on social media. He has a radical idea — get rid of them. Here, he explains his reasoning about why impulsive reactions can distort information and undermine journalistic integrity. He is sure there is a better way.
Posted inPolitics & Policy
With growing popularity of tech like ChatGPT, county restricts AI for hiring, requires more public disclosure
In a unanimous vote Tuesday, the Santa Cruz County Board of Supervisors approved a policy on artificial intelligence aimed at “harnessing the potential but also recognizing some of the risks, in particular on data privacy.” Big decisions will remain in human hands, a spokesperson said, but the county wanted a policy that could allow it to use AI as a tool while acknowledging its blind spots.