Artificial Intelligence

A close-up of a yellow Cal Fire uniform with a detailed embroidered patch on the shoulder. The patch features the shape of California, a stylized flame, and text reading “CAL FIRE” and “Since 1885.” The words “California Department of Forestry & Fire Protection” are visible along the top of the patch. The fabric is lit with strong contrast, emphasizing its texture and stitching.

California's fire protection agency made an AI chatbot. Don't ask it about evacuation orders

The bot fails at some basic questions about fires. Cal Fire says it is working on fixes.

July 9, 2025 08:30 ET

A stylized, glitch-effect image of a person with curly hair standing in a dark room, wearing a spaghetti strap top and high-waisted jeans. The person appears multiple times in overlapping positions, creating a blurred, distorted visual echo. The image is heavily tinted in purples and pinks, with digital noise and scan lines suggesting a corrupted or manipulated video frame.

Artificial Intelligence

Kids are making deepfakes of each other, and laws aren’t keeping up

Schools and lawmakers are grappling with how to address a new form of peer-on-peer image-based sexual abuse that disproportionately targets girls.

July 2, 2025 06:00 ET

A view of the dome-structure of the U.S. Capitol in Washington D.C. taken and next to its blurry reflection on a glass wall in the foreground.

Artificial Intelligence

State AI regulations safe after Senate strips moratorium from ‘big, beautiful bill’

In the end, both Republicans and Democrats helped doom a 10-year moratorium on state AI regulation after it cleared the House

July 1, 2025 13:15 ET

An instructor wearing a mask stands at the front of a classroom, gesturing while speaking to students seated at round tables. A projected slide behind the instructor displays a chart titled “Creating Your Synthesis Chart,” outlining how to organize sources and main ideas. The image is framed by two blurred vertical objects in the foreground, giving the perspective of someone observing through a narrow space.

Artificial Intelligence

Turnitin charged colleges vastly different amounts to detect plagarism

Purchasing records show some colleges are paying three times more than others.

June 26, 2025 08:30 ET

An illustration in pink and dark purple tones that shows the silhouette of a student holding a piece of paper as they stand in the middle of a cyberspace grid. A white paper with highlighted text can be seen in the background behind the student as pink boxes with exclamation points float around.

Artificial Intelligence

California colleges spend millions to catch plagiarism and AI. Is the faulty tech worth it?

Colleges and universities renew Turnitin subscriptions year after year even though its flawed detectors are expensive and require students to let the company keep their papers forever.

June 26, 2025 08:30 ET

The U.S. Capitol Building is in the bottom center of the frame, with branches of trees arched on each side of the building.

Artificial Intelligence

Congress moves to cut off states' AI regulations

House Republicans advanced a 10-year moratorium on state AI rules. California would be especially hard hit

May 16, 2025 17:00 ET

A young boy lounges on a bed with a blue and white patterned blanket, holding a camera, in a softly lit bedroom decorated with family photos and a framed sign that reads "It's always better when we're together."

Artificial Intelligence

Kids should avoid AI companion bots—under force of law, assessment says

With input from a Stanford lab, Common Sense Media concludes the AI systems can exacerbate problems like addiction and self harm.

April 30, 2025 15:30 ET

A coastal nuclear power plant with two large concrete domes is situated near rocky cliffs and the ocean. The facility includes multiple buildings, cylindrical tanks, and electrical infrastructure, surrounded by green hills and accessed by a winding road.

Artificial Intelligence

For the First Time, Artificial Intelligence is Being Used at a Nuclear Power Plant: California’s Diablo Canyon

Some lawmakers think additional guardrails are needed for future uses. For now, the facility will use AI to comply with regulations

April 8, 2025 08:30 ET

A close-up of a stack of books, with their colorful spines displaying titles from various authors, including White Teeth by Zadie Smith, The House of the Spirits by Isabel Allende, and Tell Me How It Ends by Valeria Luiselli. The books appear well-read, with worn edges and creased covers. A small potted plant with green leaves sits in the background, softly blurred, with warm natural light filtering through a window screen.

Artificial Intelligence

Are AI Models Advanced Enough To Translate Literature? The Debate Is Roiling Publishing

Major publishers are experimenting with automated translations, hundreds of which have already been produced

April 2, 2025 08:00 ET

Illustration of an outline of CA showing a golden microchip pattern, set against a background of pixelated blocks that show the text to Assembly Bill 1018

Artificial Intelligence

California Is Considering 30 New AI Regulations. Trump Wants None

President Trump is taking a very different approach to AI than the Biden administration, and it could affect how California regulates artificial intelligence

March 13, 2025 08:30 ET