The local's guide to the startups, research labs, and people driving the next industrial revolution in our backyard.
Stay informed on the AI developments shaping the valley's future.
Meta’s CEO pushed back on calls for a coordinated AI slowdown, saying labs should police themselves. Valley campuses and county services already run tools built on Meta models.
Mark Zuckerberg said AI labs should handle safety themselves, rejecting a coordinated slowdown proposal. UC Merced lists Zoom’s AI Companion as using Meta’s Llama 2 alongside OpenAI and Anthropic.
A Bakersfield tech expert and local parents say AI companions are edging into kids' social lives, citing a teen-use study and a lawsuit after a 2025 suicide.
KBAK/KBFX posted a one-question poll asking if parents are comfortable with their child using AI as a friend, as local districts roll out AI guidance.
China’s Foreign Ministry pushed back on Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei’s call to curb China’s AI growth. Central Valley campuses say governance work continues as national rules shift.
