artificial intelligence

Several bills in the California Legislature would regulate how companies use AI to make employment decisions such as compensation, hiring, firing, or promotions, but they may be in jeopardy because of their associated costs.

‘We cannot ignore the rapid growth of AI in our lives,’ Gov. Tina Kotek said in a statement Friday. The state is working with InnovateUS, a nonprofit organization that has partnered with government agencies to provide no-cost AI training for public sector employees.

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

That goes for me too. Maybe especially for me. I’ve done my fair share of freaking out about AI both in conversations with friends and colleagues as well as right here, in writing, in past columns. Perhaps saying “freaking out” is a bit hyperbolic, but let’s roll with that.

Artificial intelligence — or AI — might already be in your doctor’s office. Some providers use it to take notes at appointments or do administrative tasks.

A state report provided to CalMatters says 200 agencies reported no automation around sensitive decisions. Some called the report befuddling.

House Republicans want to ban state AI regulations for 10 years. California leaders are alarmed.

Tech that helps businesses make decisions or target ads will be given freer rein following pressure from the governor.

Governor Gavin Newsom is pushing for artificial intelligence to play a larger role in California’s state government operations.

According to Google, its latest quantum computing chip, Willow, is capable of solving a complex computation problem in just 5 minutes that would take the world’s fastest supercomputer 10 septillion years to solve.

A spate of new bills in California and other states would protect consumers from electricity rate hikes that subsidize data centers.

Energy demands from big tech, including for AI, has elected officials giving an old power source a second look.