[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":363},["ShallowReactive",2],{"header":3,"footer":26,"footer-cities":54,"content-\u002Fnews\u002Fab-311-would-let-california-auto-insurers-use-gps-and-ai-to-set-rates":235},{"id":4,"title":5,"body":6,"description":10,"extension":13,"links":14,"meta":20,"navigation":21,"path":22,"seo":23,"stem":24,"__hash__":25},"header\u002Fheader.md","Central Valley AI",{"type":7,"value":8,"toc":9},"minimark",[],{"title":10,"searchDepth":11,"depth":11,"links":12},"",2,[],"md",[15],{"label":16,"to":17,"icon":19},"News",{"path":18},"\u002Fnews\u002F","mdi-newspaper-variant-outline",{},true,"\u002Fheader",{"title":5,"description":10},"header","ceT4J-WxxOBdbhRC-UD3fo0Npu7vWt2o2B9b_LURPmE",{"id":27,"title":28,"body":29,"copyright":33,"description":10,"developedBy":34,"extension":13,"links":41,"meta":49,"navigation":21,"path":50,"seo":51,"stem":52,"__hash__":53},"footer\u002Ffooter.md","Footer",{"type":7,"value":30,"toc":31},[],{"title":10,"searchDepth":11,"depth":11,"links":32},[],"© {year} All rights reserved.",{"label":35,"link":36},"Developed by",{"label":37,"to":38,"target":39,"logo":40},"Kaweah Tech","https:\u002F\u002Fkaweah.tech","_blank","https:\u002F\u002Fassets.kaweah.tech\u002Flogo-black-on-transparent-tight.svg",[42,43,46],{"label":16,"to":18},{"label":44,"to":45},"About","\u002Fabout\u002F",{"label":47,"to":48},"Privacy Policy","\u002Fprivacy-policy\u002F",{},"\u002Ffooter",{"description":10},"footer","Ras2AGS8Wuda4aBPrbAbOivaxIsAoDbo9SNCA0w554g",[55,85,123,154,181,208],{"id":56,"title":57,"body":58,"county":77,"description":10,"extension":13,"intro":78,"meta":79,"navigation":21,"path":80,"seo":81,"stem":82,"tag":83,"__hash__":84},"cities\u002Fcities\u002Fbakersfield.md","Bakersfield",{"type":7,"value":59,"toc":74},[60,65],[61,62,64],"h2",{"id":63},"ai-in-bakersfield","AI in Bakersfield",[66,67,68,69,73],"p",{},"Bakersfield's AI conversation sits at the intersection of municipal government, the ",[70,71,72],"strong",{},"California State University Bakersfield"," community, and the energy and ag operators that drive Kern County's economy. The city was an early mover on AI-assisted permitting and has been a recurring backdrop for parent- and teacher-led debates about classroom AI use. Articles below follow specific Bakersfield initiatives, public-meeting decisions, and Kern County workforce stories — and how they reflect national AI trends from a regional vantage point.",{"title":10,"searchDepth":11,"depth":11,"links":75},[76],{"id":63,"depth":11,"text":64},"Kern County","Bakersfield and the surrounding Kern County are home to some of the most concrete AI-in-government experiments in the Central Valley, from instant municipal permitting to school-district debates about classroom AI. Coverage on this page tracks how AI is reshaping public services, education, and the energy and agriculture economies that dominate the region.",{},"\u002Fcities\u002Fbakersfield",{"title":57,"description":10},"cities\u002Fbakersfield","bakersfield","ozFL4HvDA_g7UrRE1mHbKqcS-vDLwbiH9JWVh3rB2Ac",{"id":86,"title":87,"body":88,"county":115,"description":10,"extension":13,"intro":116,"meta":117,"navigation":21,"path":118,"seo":119,"stem":120,"tag":121,"__hash__":122},"cities\u002Fcities\u002Ffresno.md","Fresno",{"type":7,"value":89,"toc":112},[90,94,109],[61,91,93],{"id":92},"ai-in-fresno","AI in Fresno",[66,95,96,97,100,101,104,105,108],{},"Fresno's AI story spans several distinct ecosystems. ",[70,98,99],{},"Fresno State"," and the ",[70,102,103],{},"California State University"," system anchor a workforce-readiness push, while local ",[70,106,107],{},"Fresno Unified School District"," debates around responsible use have made the city a recurring reference point in California's K-12 AI conversation. The city's economic base in agriculture, healthcare, and public services means most AI adoption stories here are about applied uses rather than model development — a different posture than coastal tech hubs but arguably more consequential for the people living here.",[66,110,111],{},"Use the articles below to follow how AI is showing up in Fresno-area institutions and businesses.",{"title":10,"searchDepth":11,"depth":11,"links":113},[114],{"id":92,"depth":11,"text":93},"Fresno County","Fresno is the largest city in California's Central Valley and the regional center for AI adoption across agriculture, healthcare, higher education, and small business. Coverage on this page tracks how AI is being applied — and contested — in and around the city of Fresno and Fresno County.",{},"\u002Fcities\u002Ffresno",{"title":87,"description":10},"cities\u002Ffresno","fresno","gOL2xk8y9t9OV6PPxP02OjYhZFHC_Cg-VGijh_V93dI",{"id":124,"title":125,"body":126,"county":146,"description":10,"extension":13,"intro":147,"meta":148,"navigation":21,"path":149,"seo":150,"stem":151,"tag":152,"__hash__":153},"cities\u002Fcities\u002Fmerced.md","Merced",{"type":7,"value":127,"toc":143},[128,132],[61,129,131],{"id":130},"ai-in-merced","AI in Merced",[66,133,134,135,138,139,142],{},"Merced is a research-heavy node in the Central Valley AI ecosystem. ",[70,136,137],{},"UC Merced"," faculty appear in national conversations about AI safety, autonomous vehicles, climate modeling, and pediatric health applications, while the ",[70,140,141],{},"Merced Unified School District"," and surrounding county institutions navigate the same K-12 and workforce questions the rest of the Valley faces. The articles below cover both the campus research story and the broader applied uses around the city and county.",{"title":10,"searchDepth":11,"depth":11,"links":144},[145],{"id":130,"depth":11,"text":131},"Merced County","Merced punches above its weight in AI research, anchored by UC Merced — a leading West Coast hub for AI in agriculture, climate, autonomous systems, and health. Coverage on this page tracks both academic research coming out of the campus and how AI is showing up across Merced's schools, businesses, and county institutions.",{},"\u002Fcities\u002Fmerced",{"title":125,"description":10},"cities\u002Fmerced","merced","pSWWlEzMdcv2_RZrUKdkEHU3bixNboePGdHbSdd1m34",{"id":155,"title":156,"body":157,"county":173,"description":10,"extension":13,"intro":174,"meta":175,"navigation":21,"path":176,"seo":177,"stem":178,"tag":179,"__hash__":180},"cities\u002Fcities\u002Fmodesto.md","Modesto",{"type":7,"value":158,"toc":170},[159,163],[61,160,162],{"id":161},"ai-in-modesto","AI in Modesto",[66,164,165,166,169],{},"Modesto's AI conversation tends to combine ag-tech adoption stories with workforce-readiness questions for the city's small and mid-sized employers. ",[70,167,168],{},"CSU Stanislaus"," and the regional community college network shape the higher-ed angle. Coverage below follows Modesto-area AI announcements and the wider Stanislaus County context.",{"title":10,"searchDepth":11,"depth":11,"links":171},[172],{"id":161,"depth":11,"text":162},"Stanislaus County","Modesto and Stanislaus County sit between the Bay Area and the southern Valley, and their AI story reflects that bridging role — from agriculture and food processing to the **California State University Stanislaus** community to small businesses adapting to AI-driven changes in marketing, hiring, and operations.",{},"\u002Fcities\u002Fmodesto",{"title":156,"description":10},"cities\u002Fmodesto","modesto","l75Dc40MX8wTb4lD088Yx9we4ypuDwmcvE-uEdqqREc",{"id":182,"title":183,"body":184,"county":200,"description":10,"extension":13,"intro":201,"meta":202,"navigation":21,"path":203,"seo":204,"stem":205,"tag":206,"__hash__":207},"cities\u002Fcities\u002Fstockton.md","Stockton",{"type":7,"value":185,"toc":197},[186,190],[61,187,189],{"id":188},"ai-in-stockton","AI in Stockton",[66,191,192,193,196],{},"Stockton's economic base in logistics, healthcare, and higher education gives the city a different AI profile than the southern Valley. ",[70,194,195],{},"University of the Pacific"," anchors the academic conversation, while San Joaquin County government, hospitals, and warehouse operators are navigating practical adoption questions: cost, training, security, workforce impact. The articles below track Stockton-area AI announcements and the broader San Joaquin County context.",{"title":10,"searchDepth":11,"depth":11,"links":198},[199],{"id":188,"depth":11,"text":189},"San Joaquin County","Stockton and San Joaquin County sit at the northern edge of the Central Valley, where logistics, healthcare, and the University of the Pacific shape the local AI adoption story. Coverage on this page follows how AI is being put to work — and questioned — across San Joaquin County's institutions, employers, and public services.",{},"\u002Fcities\u002Fstockton",{"title":183,"description":10},"cities\u002Fstockton","stockton","TYEBK9akp2HbpAFmYY67FeKt7Rs7L8tvtYeQBtgJAHw",{"id":209,"title":210,"body":211,"county":227,"description":10,"extension":13,"intro":228,"meta":229,"navigation":21,"path":230,"seo":231,"stem":232,"tag":233,"__hash__":234},"cities\u002Fcities\u002Fvisalia.md","Visalia",{"type":7,"value":212,"toc":224},[213,217],[61,214,216],{"id":215},"ai-in-visalia","AI in Visalia",[66,218,219,220,223],{},"Visalia's AI footprint is grounded in the practical adoption stories that come with a Tulare County economy built around agriculture, food processing, and rural healthcare. ",[70,221,222],{},"College of the Sequoias"," and the surrounding K-12 districts anchor the education conversation. The articles below cover Visalia-area AI developments and the Tulare County context, with a focus on applied uses rather than research or model development.",{"title":10,"searchDepth":11,"depth":11,"links":225},[226],{"id":215,"depth":11,"text":216},"Tulare County","Visalia is the largest city in Tulare County and a center for agriculture, healthcare, and county-government services in the southern Central Valley. Coverage on this page tracks how AI is being adopted across Tulare County's schools, hospitals, ag operations, and small business community.",{},"\u002Fcities\u002Fvisalia",{"title":210,"description":10},"cities\u002Fvisalia","visalia","gN4g7aAl-cqD4FfSTgtTAarltUoKLh8NFlPzCbZngqU",{"id":236,"title":237,"archived":238,"author":239,"body":240,"date":351,"dateModified":351,"description":352,"extension":13,"meta":353,"navigation":21,"path":354,"rawbody":355,"seo":356,"sitemap":357,"stem":358,"tags":359,"__hash__":362},"news\u002Fnews\u002Fab-311-would-let-california-auto-insurers-use-gps-and-ai-to-set-rates.md","AB 311 would let California auto insurers use GPS and AI to set rates",false,"CVAI Newsdesk",{"type":7,"value":241,"toc":343},[242,246,250,266,269,272,276,279,282,286,289,292,295,299,302,305,309,312,315,330,333,337],[243,244,237],"h1",{"id":245},"ab-311-would-let-california-auto-insurers-use-gps-and-ai-to-set-rates",[61,247,249],{"id":248},"key-takeaways","Key Takeaways",[251,252,253,257,260,263],"ol",{},[254,255,256],"li",{},"Assembly Bill 311 would allow insurers to use GPS-based telematics and AI to predict driver risk and set rates.",[254,258,259],{},"California now bases rates on safety record, annual miles, and years of experience under state rules.",[254,261,262],{},"Consumer Watchdog’s Carmen Balber warned of opaque scoring and possible data sales to third parties.",[254,264,265],{},"Bakersfield residents interviewed raised privacy concerns about insurers tracking driving behavior.",[66,267,268],{},"The pitch came Thursday, July 9, with a simple promise of cheaper car insurance if drivers share more data. Consumer Watchdog’s Carmen Balber said the tradeoff is a black-box score that can move premiums without drivers knowing why. Bakersfield station KBAK first reported the bill.",[66,270,271],{},"Here’s why it matters for Central Valley readers. If AB 311 becomes law, carriers could ask Kern and Fresno County drivers to opt in to GPS tracking that feeds an algorithm predicting crash risk. Long Highway 99 commutes or late-night shifts could be reflected in a score that raises or lowers a monthly bill.",[61,273,275],{"id":274},"what-ab-311-would-change","What AB 311 would change",[66,277,278],{},"AB 311 would let insurers collect driving behavior through GPS-based telematics and run it through an AI model to predict future risk. That prediction could become a rating factor when companies file prices with the state. California has long limited rating to three primary items, a driver’s safety record, how many miles they drive in a year and years of experience. This bill opens the door to model-driven scoring of how and when you drive.",[66,280,281],{},"Insurers already test usage-based discounts elsewhere. Here, they’d need drivers to opt in, then they could fold those risk predictions into rates, subject to state review. Still a big shift for California.",[61,283,285],{"id":284},"privacy-and-data-sale-worries","Privacy and data sale worries",[66,287,288],{},"Balber said drivers could be rated on factors they never see. \"We’re essentially talking about a score that would rate you on factors you might not even be aware of and change your auto insurance premium,\" she said. She also warned that companies could sell driving data to third-party vendors, a market that didn’t exist when the state set its current rules.",[66,290,291],{},"Local voices echoed the concern. \"Our privacy just keeps getting taken,\" said Anderson Ortiz, a Bakersfield resident, adding he doesn’t want the plan to move forward. Another resident put it bluntly: \"It’s a privacy issue, I don’t want them having access to all my information.\"",[66,293,294],{},"Outside the station, Bakersfield sat at 97 degrees just before 5 p.m.",[61,296,298],{"id":297},"what-it-could-mean-here","What it could mean here",[66,300,301],{},"For the Valley, the effect would depend on how models weigh time of day, speed variance, hard braking and road type. Bakersfield and Fresno drivers who log long freeway miles could see discounts if the data shows steady habits, or surcharges if late shifts and rural roads correlate with higher risk in the file. Farmers’ market runs on Sunday morning might look different to a model than a haul up Lerdo Highway after midnight.",[66,303,304],{},"Any new factor still goes to the Department of Insurance for approval, and officials will have to decide what transparency looks like for an algorithmic score. The agency didn’t answer a question about whether drivers would get a plain-English explanation of each penalty and discount. That’s the part readers ask first.",[61,306,308],{"id":307},"what-to-watch-next","What to watch next",[66,310,311],{},"If AB 311 advances, look for required disclosures on what’s collected, how long it’s stored, and whether data can be sold. Also watch for opt-in terms that swap a short-term discount for always-on tracking. Kern County agents say customers already ask about usage-based policies, and they want to see the fine print before recommending one.",[66,313,314],{},"\"I don’t want them having access to all my information,\" a Bakersfield resident said.",[66,316,317],{},[318,319,320,321,323,324,329],"em",{},"Central Valley AI is produced by the ",[70,322,239],{}," team and developed by ",[325,326,37],"a",{"href":38,"rel":327},[328],"nofollow",", a regional firm that builds, deploys, and integrates AI solutions for businesses across California's Central Valley.",[331,332],"hr",{},[61,334,336],{"id":335},"source","Source",[66,338,339],{},[325,340,341],{"href":341,"rel":342},"https:\u002F\u002Fbakersfieldnow.com\u002Fnews\u002Flocal\u002Fcalifornia-bill-would-let-insurers-use-gps-ai-to-predict-driving-risk-set-rates",[328],{"title":10,"searchDepth":11,"depth":11,"links":344},[345,346,347,348,349,350],{"id":248,"depth":11,"text":249},{"id":274,"depth":11,"text":275},{"id":284,"depth":11,"text":285},{"id":297,"depth":11,"text":298},{"id":307,"depth":11,"text":308},{"id":335,"depth":11,"text":336},"2026-07-10","A bill in Sacramento would let insurers score driving risk with GPS data and algorithms. Privacy advocates warn about opaque pricing and data sales.",{},"\u002Fnews\u002Fab-311-would-let-california-auto-insurers-use-gps-and-ai-to-set-rates","---\nauthor: CVAI Newsdesk\ndate: '2026-07-10'\ndateModified: '2026-07-10'\ndescription: A bill in Sacramento would let insurers score driving risk with GPS data\n  and algorithms. Privacy advocates warn about opaque pricing and data sales.\ntags:\n- policy\n- bakersfield\n- insurance\ntitle: AB 311 would let California auto insurers use GPS and AI to set rates\n---\n\n# AB 311 would let California auto insurers use GPS and AI to set rates\n\n## Key Takeaways\n\n1. Assembly Bill 311 would allow insurers to use GPS-based telematics and AI to predict driver risk and set rates.\n2. California now bases rates on safety record, annual miles, and years of experience under state rules.\n3. Consumer Watchdog’s Carmen Balber warned of opaque scoring and possible data sales to third parties.\n4. Bakersfield residents interviewed raised privacy concerns about insurers tracking driving behavior.\n\nThe pitch came Thursday, July 9, with a simple promise of cheaper car insurance if drivers share more data. Consumer Watchdog’s Carmen Balber said the tradeoff is a black-box score that can move premiums without drivers knowing why. Bakersfield station KBAK first reported the bill.\n\nHere’s why it matters for Central Valley readers. If AB 311 becomes law, carriers could ask Kern and Fresno County drivers to opt in to GPS tracking that feeds an algorithm predicting crash risk. Long Highway 99 commutes or late-night shifts could be reflected in a score that raises or lowers a monthly bill.\n\n## What AB 311 would change\n\nAB 311 would let insurers collect driving behavior through GPS-based telematics and run it through an AI model to predict future risk. That prediction could become a rating factor when companies file prices with the state. California has long limited rating to three primary items, a driver’s safety record, how many miles they drive in a year and years of experience. This bill opens the door to model-driven scoring of how and when you drive.\n\nInsurers already test usage-based discounts elsewhere. Here, they’d need drivers to opt in, then they could fold those risk predictions into rates, subject to state review. Still a big shift for California.\n\n## Privacy and data sale worries\n\nBalber said drivers could be rated on factors they never see. \"We’re essentially talking about a score that would rate you on factors you might not even be aware of and change your auto insurance premium,\" she said. She also warned that companies could sell driving data to third-party vendors, a market that didn’t exist when the state set its current rules.\n\nLocal voices echoed the concern. \"Our privacy just keeps getting taken,\" said Anderson Ortiz, a Bakersfield resident, adding he doesn’t want the plan to move forward. Another resident put it bluntly: \"It’s a privacy issue, I don’t want them having access to all my information.\"\n\nOutside the station, Bakersfield sat at 97 degrees just before 5 p.m.\n\n## What it could mean here\n\nFor the Valley, the effect would depend on how models weigh time of day, speed variance, hard braking and road type. Bakersfield and Fresno drivers who log long freeway miles could see discounts if the data shows steady habits, or surcharges if late shifts and rural roads correlate with higher risk in the file. Farmers’ market runs on Sunday morning might look different to a model than a haul up Lerdo Highway after midnight.\n\nAny new factor still goes to the Department of Insurance for approval, and officials will have to decide what transparency looks like for an algorithmic score. The agency didn’t answer a question about whether drivers would get a plain-English explanation of each penalty and discount. That’s the part readers ask first.\n\n## What to watch next\n\nIf AB 311 advances, look for required disclosures on what’s collected, how long it’s stored, and whether data can be sold. Also watch for opt-in terms that swap a short-term discount for always-on tracking. Kern County agents say customers already ask about usage-based policies, and they want to see the fine print before recommending one.\n\n\"I don’t want them having access to all my information,\" a Bakersfield resident said.\n\n*Central Valley AI is produced by the **CVAI Newsdesk** team and developed by [Kaweah Tech](https:\u002F\u002Fkaweah.tech), a regional firm that builds, deploys, and integrates AI solutions for businesses across California's Central Valley.*\n\n---\n\n## Source\n\nhttps:\u002F\u002Fbakersfieldnow.com\u002Fnews\u002Flocal\u002Fcalifornia-bill-would-let-insurers-use-gps-ai-to-predict-driving-risk-set-rates\n",{"title":237,"description":352},{"loc":354},"news\u002Fab-311-would-let-california-auto-insurers-use-gps-and-ai-to-set-rates",[360,83,361],"policy","insurance","cUK8RMDkMVgiTLzflejjp7RegBDQb5POANuj2zjtGkk",1783644248786]