[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":358},["ShallowReactive",2],{"header":3,"footer":26,"footer-cities":54,"content-\u002Fnews\u002Fai-stock-slump-rattles-markets-uc-merced-keeps-projects-on-track":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":346,"dateModified":346,"description":347,"extension":13,"meta":348,"navigation":21,"path":349,"rawbody":350,"seo":351,"sitemap":352,"stem":353,"tags":354,"__hash__":357},"news\u002Fnews\u002Fai-stock-slump-rattles-markets-uc-merced-keeps-projects-on-track.md","AI stock slump rattles markets; UC Merced keeps projects on track",false,"CVAI Newsdesk",{"type":7,"value":241,"toc":339},[242,246,250,266,269,272,275,279,282,285,289,292,295,298,302,305,308,311,326,329,333],[243,244,237],"h1",{"id":245},"ai-stock-slump-rattles-markets-uc-merced-keeps-projects-on-track",[61,247,249],{"id":248},"key-takeaways","Key Takeaways",[251,252,253,257,260,263],"ol",{},[254,255,256],"li",{},"AI-focused tech stocks led a broad selloff Thursday after fresh spending signals from major firms.",[254,258,259],{},"Meta told investors it would create a new stock class to raise cash for AI investments.",[254,261,262],{},"UC Merced’s AI Advisory Council, chaired by Avi Badwal, says campus integration work continues.",[254,264,265],{},"Valley savers feel swings through index funds in 401(k)s and public pensions.",[66,267,268],{},"Three red days in a row will get anyone’s attention. UC Merced’s AI leaders had a different message Friday: keep the work moving.",[66,270,271],{},"The selloff, carried in the Merced Sun-Star’s business section, centered on AI‑tied names after fresh guidance on capital spending and financing. That matters here because retirement accounts in Merced County track broad indexes, so when the biggest tech names slide, local balances do too.",[66,273,274],{},"UC Merced’s AI Advisory Council, chaired by Assistant Vice Chancellor for Enterprise Technologies Avi Badwal, has been mapping where AI fits across teaching, research and administration. The council’s plan is campus‑level and long‑horizon, not day‑to‑day tied to a stock chart.",[61,276,278],{"id":277},"what-moved-the-market","What moved the market",[66,280,281],{},"Wire reports pointed to aggressive AI build‑outs and higher capital needs, including Meta’s move to create a new class of stock to raise money. Investors who’ve rewarded AI spending most of the year stepped back and re‑priced the tab. Oil prices and rate worries didn’t help.",[66,283,284],{},"The turn hit large platform companies and chip suppliers first, then bled into the rest of tech. If you own an S&P 500 index fund in a county 401(k), you felt it. A lot of Valley households do.",[61,286,288],{"id":287},"why-this-matters-in-merced","Why this matters in Merced",[66,290,291],{},"Local exposure is indirect but real. County workers and school employees contribute to retirement systems with broad equity exposure, and many private‑sector workers stash paychecks into target‑date funds. Swings in mega‑cap tech move those benchmarks.",[66,293,294],{},"On the ground, UC Merced’s AI effort is about people and practices. The council’s public brief lays out workgroups for teaching and learning, research and administration, with deliverables that include pilot grants and guidance on responsible use. The goal, they’ve said, is to build guardrails around how the campus uses AI tools while investing in skills that last longer than a quarter.",[66,296,297],{},"That means classes still run, pilot projects still get scored, and staff training still gets scheduled. A market downdraft does not cancel an R1 university’s governance work.",[61,299,301],{"id":300},"the-open-questions","The open questions",[66,303,304],{},"Two threads will bear watching. First, whether continued cost disclosures from Big Tech cool investor appetite for the AI story through year‑end. Second, whether higher financing costs slow private data‑center timelines in places like the Central Valley, where power and water are already tight and permitting takes time.",[66,306,307],{},"UC Merced’s council intends to report out on pilot projects and next steps this fall. MercedCERA’s next public investment update will show how much of this volatility stuck. No one’s giving a timeline for that today.",[66,309,310],{},"A single yellow legal pad sat curled on the corner of a front‑office desk.",[66,312,313],{},[314,315,316,317,319,320,325],"em",{},"Central Valley AI is produced by the ",[70,318,239],{}," team and developed by ",[321,322,37],"a",{"href":38,"rel":323},[324],"nofollow",", a regional firm that builds, deploys, and integrates AI solutions for businesses across California's Central Valley.",[327,328],"hr",{},[61,330,332],{"id":331},"source","Source",[66,334,335],{},[321,336,337],{"href":337,"rel":338},"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.mercedsunstar.com\u002Fnews\u002Fbusiness\u002Farticle317733750.html",[324],{"title":10,"searchDepth":11,"depth":11,"links":340},[341,342,343,344,345],{"id":248,"depth":11,"text":249},{"id":277,"depth":11,"text":278},{"id":287,"depth":11,"text":288},{"id":300,"depth":11,"text":301},{"id":331,"depth":11,"text":332},"2026-10-23","A global selloff in AI‑heavy tech stocks spilled into Thursday trading. UC Merced’s AI council continues campus work as investors reassess big‑ticket spending.",{},"\u002Fnews\u002Fai-stock-slump-rattles-markets-uc-merced-keeps-projects-on-track","---\nauthor: CVAI Newsdesk\ndate: '2026-10-23'\ndateModified: '2026-10-23'\ndescription: A global selloff in AI‑heavy tech stocks spilled into Thursday trading.\n  UC Merced’s AI council continues campus work as investors reassess big‑ticket spending.\ntags:\n- business\n- merced\n- markets\ntitle: AI stock slump rattles markets; UC Merced keeps projects on track\n---\n\n# AI stock slump rattles markets; UC Merced keeps projects on track\n\n## Key Takeaways\n\n1. AI-focused tech stocks led a broad selloff Thursday after fresh spending signals from major firms.\n2. Meta told investors it would create a new stock class to raise cash for AI investments.\n3. UC Merced’s AI Advisory Council, chaired by Avi Badwal, says campus integration work continues.\n4. Valley savers feel swings through index funds in 401(k)s and public pensions.\n\nThree red days in a row will get anyone’s attention. UC Merced’s AI leaders had a different message Friday: keep the work moving.\n\nThe selloff, carried in the Merced Sun-Star’s business section, centered on AI‑tied names after fresh guidance on capital spending and financing. That matters here because retirement accounts in Merced County track broad indexes, so when the biggest tech names slide, local balances do too.\n\nUC Merced’s AI Advisory Council, chaired by Assistant Vice Chancellor for Enterprise Technologies Avi Badwal, has been mapping where AI fits across teaching, research and administration. The council’s plan is campus‑level and long‑horizon, not day‑to‑day tied to a stock chart.\n\n## What moved the market\n\nWire reports pointed to aggressive AI build‑outs and higher capital needs, including Meta’s move to create a new class of stock to raise money. Investors who’ve rewarded AI spending most of the year stepped back and re‑priced the tab. Oil prices and rate worries didn’t help.\n\nThe turn hit large platform companies and chip suppliers first, then bled into the rest of tech. If you own an S&P 500 index fund in a county 401(k), you felt it. A lot of Valley households do.\n\n## Why this matters in Merced\n\nLocal exposure is indirect but real. County workers and school employees contribute to retirement systems with broad equity exposure, and many private‑sector workers stash paychecks into target‑date funds. Swings in mega‑cap tech move those benchmarks.\n\nOn the ground, UC Merced’s AI effort is about people and practices. The council’s public brief lays out workgroups for teaching and learning, research and administration, with deliverables that include pilot grants and guidance on responsible use. The goal, they’ve said, is to build guardrails around how the campus uses AI tools while investing in skills that last longer than a quarter.\n\nThat means classes still run, pilot projects still get scored, and staff training still gets scheduled. A market downdraft does not cancel an R1 university’s governance work.\n\n## The open questions\n\nTwo threads will bear watching. First, whether continued cost disclosures from Big Tech cool investor appetite for the AI story through year‑end. Second, whether higher financing costs slow private data‑center timelines in places like the Central Valley, where power and water are already tight and permitting takes time.\n\nUC Merced’s council intends to report out on pilot projects and next steps this fall. MercedCERA’s next public investment update will show how much of this volatility stuck. No one’s giving a timeline for that today.\n\nA single yellow legal pad sat curled on the corner of a front‑office desk.\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\u002Fwww.mercedsunstar.com\u002Fnews\u002Fbusiness\u002Farticle317733750.html\n",{"title":237,"description":347},{"loc":349},"news\u002Fai-stock-slump-rattles-markets-uc-merced-keeps-projects-on-track",[355,152,356],"business","markets","k64IGtJ5l2kQ_h-b_DJFeya7E1v8ISIt45lucKgesCY",1792715541548]