[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":360},["ShallowReactive",2],{"header":3,"footer":26,"footer-cities":54,"content-\u002Fnews\u002Ffresno-city-manager-says-city-hall-is-captive-to-private-software-ai-costs-unclear":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":348,"dateModified":348,"description":349,"extension":13,"meta":350,"navigation":21,"path":351,"rawbody":352,"seo":353,"sitemap":354,"stem":355,"tags":356,"__hash__":359},"news\u002Fnews\u002Ffresno-city-manager-says-city-hall-is-captive-to-private-software-ai-costs-unclear.md","Fresno city manager says City Hall is 'captive' to private software, AI costs unclear",false,"CVAI Newsdesk",{"type":7,"value":241,"toc":340},[242,246,250,269,272,275,279,282,285,289,292,295,299,302,306,309,312,327,330,334],[243,244,237],"h1",{"id":245},"fresno-city-manager-says-city-hall-is-captive-to-private-software-ai-costs-unclear",[61,247,249],{"id":248},"key-takeaways","Key Takeaways",[251,252,253,257,260,263,266],"ol",{},[254,255,256],"li",{},"Fresno City Manager Georgeanne White said the city is \"captive\" to proprietary software it depends on.",[254,258,259],{},"City Hall blocked ChatGPT and directed staff to use Microsoft Copilot inside Office.",[254,261,262],{},"A city memo projects $25,000 for Madison AI and similar costs for Salesforce AI and Wordly AI.",[254,264,265],{},"A city spokesperson said actual AI costs, including Claude tokens, aren’t readily available.",[254,267,268],{},"Fresno’s five-year Axon deal totals $18.3 million, rising from $1.2 million in year one to $5.8 million in year five.",[66,270,271],{},"Councilmember Miguel Arias compared future AI bills to \"like meth\" during Fresno’s June 8 budget hearing, warning of cheap buy-in then big charges later. A half-empty water bottle sat by the mic. City Manager Georgeanne White answered that Fresno is already tied to private software that runs core functions of local government.",[66,273,274],{},"Here’s the crux for residents: City employees are using AI tools now, and the city doesn’t have a complete price tag or a formal rulebook for how those tools get used.",[61,276,278],{"id":277},"what-changed-at-city-hall","What changed at City Hall",[66,280,281],{},"White said the city had so many staffers using OpenAI’s ChatGPT that the company reached out about paying for an enterprise plan or quitting the product. The city then blocked the ChatGPT domain on its servers and told employees to use Microsoft’s Copilot that comes with Office. There’s no formal AI policy yet, but White said there’s an informal one that her office plans to put into an administrative order.",[66,283,284],{},"There is no formal AI policy at City Hall.",[61,286,288],{"id":287},"what-the-city-is-buying","What the city is buying",[66,290,291],{},"A memo Fresnoland obtained lists roughly two dozen approved programs that include AI features or are built on AI. It projects $25,000 next fiscal year for Madison AI, which drafts internal staff reports. Staff anticipate similar costs for Salesforce AI and Wordly AI, the live transcription and Spanish translation service used at council meetings.",[66,293,294],{},"Claude AI is used by the Information Services Department, but costs are based on usage tokens. Staff didn’t project that number. A city spokesperson said the actual totals across tools, including Claude tokens, aren’t readily available. No one had a number.",[61,296,298],{"id":297},"the-police-tech-bill","The police tech bill",[66,300,301],{},"Fresno police use Axon body cameras and software that include AI features for drafting reports. The tools are part of an $18.3 million, five-year package. Year one runs $1.2 million. By year three the cost triples, and year five is $5.8 million. White pointed to deals like this to explain why she views the city as captive to vendors and updates that can’t be skipped without breaking workflows.",[61,303,305],{"id":304},"the-guardrails-and-the-risks","The guardrails and the risks",[66,307,308],{},"White also referenced an outside law firm’s blunder in a city matter after a lawyer used an invalid citation that she said likely came from AI. Researchers have warned about hallucinations and bias, which feed the case for clear internal rules. That includes tracking where AI is used, data protections, and training staff on known failure points.",[66,310,311],{},"\"We’re going to have to have technology,\" White said. \"We are captive.\"",[66,313,314],{},[315,316,317,318,320,321,326],"em",{},"Central Valley AI is produced by the ",[70,319,239],{}," team and developed by ",[322,323,37],"a",{"href":38,"rel":324},[325],"nofollow",", a regional firm that builds, deploys, and integrates AI solutions for businesses across California's Central Valley.",[328,329],"hr",{},[61,331,333],{"id":332},"source","Source",[66,335,336],{},[322,337,338],{"href":338,"rel":339},"https:\u002F\u002Ffresnoland.org\u002F2026\u002F07\u002F10\u002Fartificial-intelligence-software-tech-captive\u002F",[325],{"title":10,"searchDepth":11,"depth":11,"links":341},[342,343,344,345,346,347],{"id":248,"depth":11,"text":249},{"id":277,"depth":11,"text":278},{"id":287,"depth":11,"text":288},{"id":297,"depth":11,"text":298},{"id":304,"depth":11,"text":305},{"id":332,"depth":11,"text":333},"2026-07-11","At a June 8 budget hearing, Fresno’s city manager said the city is stuck with proprietary tech. A memo lists AI tools in use, but officials don’t have total costs.",{},"\u002Fnews\u002Ffresno-city-manager-says-city-hall-is-captive-to-private-software-ai-costs-unclear","---\nauthor: CVAI Newsdesk\ndate: '2026-07-11'\ndateModified: '2026-07-11'\ndescription: At a June 8 budget hearing, Fresno’s city manager said the city is stuck\n  with proprietary tech. A memo lists AI tools in use, but officials don’t have total\n  costs.\ntags:\n- government\n- fresno\n- policy\ntitle: Fresno city manager says City Hall is 'captive' to private software, AI costs\n  unclear\n---\n\n# Fresno city manager says City Hall is 'captive' to private software, AI costs unclear\n\n## Key Takeaways\n\n1. Fresno City Manager Georgeanne White said the city is \"captive\" to proprietary software it depends on.\n2. City Hall blocked ChatGPT and directed staff to use Microsoft Copilot inside Office.\n3. A city memo projects $25,000 for Madison AI and similar costs for Salesforce AI and Wordly AI.\n4. A city spokesperson said actual AI costs, including Claude tokens, aren’t readily available.\n5. Fresno’s five-year Axon deal totals $18.3 million, rising from $1.2 million in year one to $5.8 million in year five.\n\nCouncilmember Miguel Arias compared future AI bills to \"like meth\" during Fresno’s June 8 budget hearing, warning of cheap buy-in then big charges later. A half-empty water bottle sat by the mic. City Manager Georgeanne White answered that Fresno is already tied to private software that runs core functions of local government.\n\nHere’s the crux for residents: City employees are using AI tools now, and the city doesn’t have a complete price tag or a formal rulebook for how those tools get used.\n\n## What changed at City Hall\n\nWhite said the city had so many staffers using OpenAI’s ChatGPT that the company reached out about paying for an enterprise plan or quitting the product. The city then blocked the ChatGPT domain on its servers and told employees to use Microsoft’s Copilot that comes with Office. There’s no formal AI policy yet, but White said there’s an informal one that her office plans to put into an administrative order.\n\nThere is no formal AI policy at City Hall.\n\n## What the city is buying\n\nA memo Fresnoland obtained lists roughly two dozen approved programs that include AI features or are built on AI. It projects $25,000 next fiscal year for Madison AI, which drafts internal staff reports. Staff anticipate similar costs for Salesforce AI and Wordly AI, the live transcription and Spanish translation service used at council meetings.\n\nClaude AI is used by the Information Services Department, but costs are based on usage tokens. Staff didn’t project that number. A city spokesperson said the actual totals across tools, including Claude tokens, aren’t readily available. No one had a number.\n\n## The police tech bill\n\nFresno police use Axon body cameras and software that include AI features for drafting reports. The tools are part of an $18.3 million, five-year package. Year one runs $1.2 million. By year three the cost triples, and year five is $5.8 million. White pointed to deals like this to explain why she views the city as captive to vendors and updates that can’t be skipped without breaking workflows.\n\n## The guardrails and the risks\n\nWhite also referenced an outside law firm’s blunder in a city matter after a lawyer used an invalid citation that she said likely came from AI. Researchers have warned about hallucinations and bias, which feed the case for clear internal rules. That includes tracking where AI is used, data protections, and training staff on known failure points.\n\n\"We’re going to have to have technology,\" White said. \"We are captive.\"\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\u002Ffresnoland.org\u002F2026\u002F07\u002F10\u002Fartificial-intelligence-software-tech-captive\u002F\n",{"title":237,"description":349},{"loc":351},"news\u002Ffresno-city-manager-says-city-hall-is-captive-to-private-software-ai-costs-unclear",[357,121,358],"government","policy","f1rvqj8JdGzPkLs1fHpVk1V2p8SFstj_N5oXq-yC-9g",1783730229673]