[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":372},["ShallowReactive",2],{"header":3,"footer":26,"footer-cities":54,"content-\u002Fnews\u002Fcsu-bakersfield-puts-student-built-ai-assistant-rio-on-display-at-nexttech-kern":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":360,"dateModified":360,"description":361,"extension":13,"meta":362,"navigation":21,"path":363,"rawbody":364,"seo":365,"sitemap":366,"stem":367,"tags":368,"__hash__":371},"news\u002Fnews\u002Fcsu-bakersfield-puts-student-built-ai-assistant-rio-on-display-at-nexttech-kern.md","CSU Bakersfield puts student-built AI assistant Rio on display at NextTech Kern",false,"CVAI Education Desk",{"type":7,"value":241,"toc":352},[242,246,250,266,269,272,276,279,282,285,289,292,295,298,302,305,308,312,315,318,321,324,339,342,346],[243,244,237],"h1",{"id":245},"csu-bakersfield-puts-student-built-ai-assistant-rio-on-display-at-nexttech-kern",[61,247,249],{"id":248},"key-takeaways","Key Takeaways",[251,252,253,257,260,263],"ol",{},[254,255,256],"li",{},"CSU Bakersfield featured Rio, an AI campus assistant built with help from students, at its NextTech Kern conference on Oct. 28.",[254,258,259],{},"Rio answers campus questions using only information university departments have approved, and it sends users to staff when it doesn't know.",[254,261,262],{},"CSUB chief information officer Chris Diniz said many entry-level employers now expect applicants to understand AI at a basic level.",[254,264,265],{},"CSUB political science professor Michael Ault built a full course that treats AI as \"lane assist,\" with students responsible for checking their information.",[66,267,268],{},"\"It's not gonna guess.\"",[66,270,271],{},"That's Christian Schmiedel's pitch for Rio, the AI assistant CSU Bakersfield put on display at Wednesday's NextTech Kern conference, where campus leaders argued that kids who leave without hands-on AI experience will start their careers behind. Rio is short for Roadrunner Intelligent Operator. It was built with help from CSUB students (the Roadrunner is the same name the athletics teams play under), and it answers common campus questions using only information that university departments have approved.",[61,273,275],{"id":274},"what-rio-does","What Rio does",[66,277,278],{},"Schmiedel is the project's technical implementation fellow. He told KBAK the system is built to avoid making up answers, which is the main thing separating it from the open-ended chatbots most students already carry around on their phones.",[66,280,281],{},"\"Whatever Rio is telling you is a certified correct answer,\" he said. \"And if it doesn't know the answer, it will direct you to the people who know the answer.\"",[66,283,284],{},"Schmiedel said the project introduced him to AI engineering work and could shape his own career path. He also came away with experience on both the technical and human sides of building an AI system. CSUB leaders say Rio is part of a push to get students working with AI before they're job hunting.",[61,286,288],{"id":287},"what-employers-expect","What employers expect",[66,290,291],{},"Dr. Chris Diniz was blunter.",[66,293,294],{},"\"If you don't have that, there's going to be a gap for you because a lot of employers for entry-level jobs are expecting some basic understanding of AI,\" said Diniz, CSUB's associate vice president and chief information officer.",[66,296,297],{},"He didn't name which employers, and neither did the KBAK report.",[61,299,301],{"id":300},"where-k-12-fits","Where K-12 fits",[66,303,304],{},"The university's NextTech Kern site listed high school and community college students, along with K-12 leaders and educators, among the people it wanted in the audience, and it posted a $95 registration fee for the 9-to-5 event. That matters for Kern County districts. A Kern High School District sophomore is a few years from that entry-level hiring pool. The coverage didn't say whether Rio, or anything like it, connects to high school pathways through dual enrollment, articulation agreements or a partnership with Bakersfield College.",[66,306,307],{},"But that's the question a high school counselor would ask first.",[61,309,311],{"id":310},"hands-on-the-wheel","Hands on the wheel",[66,313,314],{},"Faculty are trying to fold AI into coursework without letting it do students' thinking for them. Dr. Michael Ault, who teaches political science, is one.",[66,316,317],{},"\"I designed an entire class around the idea of using AI as a lane assist as opposed to a Waymo,\" Ault said.",[66,319,320],{},"His approach leans on verification and critical thinking. Students stay responsible for the information they use, and anyone who's graded a stack of eighth-grade research reports knows why that part matters. Ault finished the metaphor himself.",[66,322,323],{},"\"The idea being that instead of students just simply getting in a car and the car driving itself, they're still with their hands on the wheel in control,\" he said.",[66,325,326],{},[327,328,329,330,332,333,338],"em",{},"Central Valley AI is produced by the ",[70,331,239],{}," team and developed by ",[334,335,37],"a",{"href":38,"rel":336},[337],"nofollow",", a regional firm that builds, deploys, and integrates AI solutions for businesses across California's Central Valley.",[340,341],"hr",{},[61,343,345],{"id":344},"source","Source",[66,347,348],{},[334,349,350],{"href":350,"rel":351},"https:\u002F\u002Fbakersfieldnow.com\u002Fnews\u002Flocal\u002Fgallery\u002Fcsu-bakersfield-conference-highlights-ai-skills-to-prepare-students-for-workforce",[337],{"title":10,"searchDepth":11,"depth":11,"links":353},[354,355,356,357,358,359],{"id":248,"depth":11,"text":249},{"id":274,"depth":11,"text":275},{"id":287,"depth":11,"text":288},{"id":300,"depth":11,"text":301},{"id":310,"depth":11,"text":311},{"id":344,"depth":11,"text":345},"2026-10-30","At Wednesday's NextTech Kern conference, CSUB's tech chief said entry-level employers now expect basic AI skills, and a political science professor explained how he keeps students in control.",{},"\u002Fnews\u002Fcsu-bakersfield-puts-student-built-ai-assistant-rio-on-display-at-nexttech-kern","---\nauthor: CVAI Education Desk\ndate: '2026-10-30'\ndateModified: '2026-10-30'\ndescription: At Wednesday's NextTech Kern conference, CSUB's tech chief said entry-level\n  employers now expect basic AI skills, and a political science professor explained\n  how he keeps students in control.\ntags:\n- education\n- bakersfield\n- workforce\ntitle: CSU Bakersfield puts student-built AI assistant Rio on display at NextTech\n  Kern\n---\n\n# CSU Bakersfield puts student-built AI assistant Rio on display at NextTech Kern\n\n## Key Takeaways\n\n1. CSU Bakersfield featured Rio, an AI campus assistant built with help from students, at its NextTech Kern conference on Oct. 28.\n2. Rio answers campus questions using only information university departments have approved, and it sends users to staff when it doesn't know.\n3. CSUB chief information officer Chris Diniz said many entry-level employers now expect applicants to understand AI at a basic level.\n4. CSUB political science professor Michael Ault built a full course that treats AI as \"lane assist,\" with students responsible for checking their information.\n\n\"It's not gonna guess.\"\n\nThat's Christian Schmiedel's pitch for Rio, the AI assistant CSU Bakersfield put on display at Wednesday's NextTech Kern conference, where campus leaders argued that kids who leave without hands-on AI experience will start their careers behind. Rio is short for Roadrunner Intelligent Operator. It was built with help from CSUB students (the Roadrunner is the same name the athletics teams play under), and it answers common campus questions using only information that university departments have approved.\n\n## What Rio does\n\nSchmiedel is the project's technical implementation fellow. He told KBAK the system is built to avoid making up answers, which is the main thing separating it from the open-ended chatbots most students already carry around on their phones.\n\n\"Whatever Rio is telling you is a certified correct answer,\" he said. \"And if it doesn't know the answer, it will direct you to the people who know the answer.\"\n\nSchmiedel said the project introduced him to AI engineering work and could shape his own career path. He also came away with experience on both the technical and human sides of building an AI system. CSUB leaders say Rio is part of a push to get students working with AI before they're job hunting.\n\n## What employers expect\n\nDr. Chris Diniz was blunter.\n\n\"If you don't have that, there's going to be a gap for you because a lot of employers for entry-level jobs are expecting some basic understanding of AI,\" said Diniz, CSUB's associate vice president and chief information officer.\n\nHe didn't name which employers, and neither did the KBAK report.\n\n## Where K-12 fits\n\nThe university's NextTech Kern site listed high school and community college students, along with K-12 leaders and educators, among the people it wanted in the audience, and it posted a $95 registration fee for the 9-to-5 event. That matters for Kern County districts. A Kern High School District sophomore is a few years from that entry-level hiring pool. The coverage didn't say whether Rio, or anything like it, connects to high school pathways through dual enrollment, articulation agreements or a partnership with Bakersfield College.\n\nBut that's the question a high school counselor would ask first.\n\n## Hands on the wheel\n\nFaculty are trying to fold AI into coursework without letting it do students' thinking for them. Dr. Michael Ault, who teaches political science, is one.\n\n\"I designed an entire class around the idea of using AI as a lane assist as opposed to a Waymo,\" Ault said.\n\nHis approach leans on verification and critical thinking. Students stay responsible for the information they use, and anyone who's graded a stack of eighth-grade research reports knows why that part matters. Ault finished the metaphor himself.\n\n\"The idea being that instead of students just simply getting in a car and the car driving itself, they're still with their hands on the wheel in control,\" he said.\n\n*Central Valley AI is produced by the **CVAI Education Desk** 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\u002Fgallery\u002Fcsu-bakersfield-conference-highlights-ai-skills-to-prepare-students-for-workforce\n",{"title":237,"description":361},{"loc":363},"news\u002Fcsu-bakersfield-puts-student-built-ai-assistant-rio-on-display-at-nexttech-kern",[369,83,370],"education","workforce","Wjn4py06Y3XpC0-rvm-HePYDgM28szQ1w-N2u6KZai0",1793319977488]