[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":357},["ShallowReactive",2],{"header":3,"footer":26,"footer-cities":54,"content-\u002Fnews\u002Fstephen-moore-s-atm-ai-argument-and-what-it-means-for-valley-bank-jobs":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":345,"dateModified":345,"description":346,"extension":13,"meta":347,"navigation":21,"path":348,"rawbody":349,"seo":350,"sitemap":351,"stem":352,"tags":353,"__hash__":356},"news\u002Fnews\u002Fstephen-moore-s-atm-ai-argument-and-what-it-means-for-valley-bank-jobs.md","Stephen Moore's ATM-AI argument and what it means for Valley bank jobs",false,"CVAI Newsdesk",{"type":7,"value":241,"toc":337},[242,246,250,266,269,272,276,279,283,286,289,293,296,299,303,306,309,324,327,331],[243,244,237],"h1",{"id":245},"stephen-moores-atm-ai-argument-and-what-it-means-for-valley-bank-jobs",[61,247,249],{"id":248},"key-takeaways","Key Takeaways",[251,252,253,257,260,263],"ol",{},[254,255,256],"li",{},"Stephen Moore argued in Bakersfield.com that ATMs didn't erase teller jobs and AI could echo that.",[254,258,259],{},"Valley Strong Credit Union employs about 600 people and runs roughly 30 branches in and around Kern County.",[254,261,262],{},"Porterville-based Bank of the Sierra operates about 35 branches across the South Valley and Central Coast.",[254,264,265],{},"U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics projects teller employment to fall 13% from 2024 to 2034.",[66,267,268],{},"About 600 people work at Valley Strong Credit Union in Bakersfield, spread across roughly 30 branches from Kern into neighboring counties. So when columnist Stephen Moore wrote Wednesday that automated teller machines didn't wipe out bank teller jobs and that AI may follow a similar arc, the question lands here first: what does that mean for front-counter work in Kern and Fresno.",[66,270,271],{},"A familiar story in bank tech.",[61,273,275],{"id":274},"what-moore-argues","What Moore argues",[66,277,278],{},"Moore's point is simple: ATMs automated a task, not the occupation. Banks adjusted staffing, opened more branches, and tellers shifted into customer service and product roles. He says AI could do the same for white-collar work, trimming repetitive chores while raising demand for people who solve problems and sell.",[61,280,282],{"id":281},"what-that-looks-like-here","What that looks like here",[66,284,285],{},"Local institutions already reflect that mix of machines and people. Valley Strong keeps branches busy while pushing mobile deposits and bill pay. Bank of the Sierra, headquartered in Porterville, still runs about three dozen locations even as more routine transactions go through kiosks and apps. Fresno First Bank remains a single-branch headquarters that serves most clients remotely, a model that treats the branch like a hub rather than the default stop.",[66,287,288],{},"These choices matter for entry-level hiring and training. More self-service can mean fewer windows open at noon, but the people behind them spend more time on fraud holds, new accounts, small-business questions, and the kind of problem that can't be solved by a screen. The paper deposit slips by the window are still there.",[61,290,292],{"id":291},"what-the-data-says-about-teller-jobs","What the data says about teller jobs",[66,294,295],{},"History backs parts of Moore's analogy. As ATMs spread, total teller employment held roughly steady for decades because branches multiplied, even as tellers per branch fell. The more recent trend is less forgiving. Mobile banking now does what the ATM couldn't, it takes the whole visit away. Federal projections call for a 13% drop in teller jobs from 2024 to 2034, which lines up with what workers in Fresno and Bakersfield branches describe anecdotally, fewer openings, broader duties.",[66,297,298],{},"For the Valley, that means fewer traditional teller slots over time, then more value on sales, compliance, digital support and cash-handling experience that travels to armored services and back-office roles. It also means the region's lenders have choices. Keep a larger physical footprint, like Porterville's Bank of the Sierra, and you spread the customer load. Go light on branches, like Fresno First, and you hire differently.",[61,300,302],{"id":301},"why-readers-here-should-care","Why readers here should care",[66,304,305],{},"Banks and credit unions are steady employers in Kern, Tulare, and Fresno counties. If Moore is right that AI trims tasks more than jobs, the shift shows up in what those jobs ask for, not whether they exist at all. If he's wrong, it shows up in the posting counts. Either way, the stakes are local.",[66,307,308],{},"The sound you hear at a Bakersfield branch gives the summary better than a chart, the quiet clatter of an ATM spitting twenties beside a teller window.",[66,310,311],{},[312,313,314,315,317,318,323],"em",{},"Central Valley AI is produced by the ",[70,316,239],{}," team and developed by ",[319,320,37],"a",{"href":38,"rel":321},[322],"nofollow",", a regional firm that builds, deploys, and integrates AI solutions for businesses across California's Central Valley.",[325,326],"hr",{},[61,328,330],{"id":329},"source","Source",[66,332,333],{},[319,334,335],{"href":335,"rel":336},"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.bakersfield.com\u002Fopinion\u002Fstephen-moore-what-bank-atms-teach-us-about-ai\u002Farticle_e8a9019f-f13b-43fe-b3de-154ac1a393d3.html",[322],{"title":10,"searchDepth":11,"depth":11,"links":338},[339,340,341,342,343,344],{"id":248,"depth":11,"text":249},{"id":274,"depth":11,"text":275},{"id":281,"depth":11,"text":282},{"id":291,"depth":11,"text":292},{"id":301,"depth":11,"text":302},{"id":329,"depth":11,"text":330},"2026-08-12","In a Bakersfield column, Stephen Moore says ATMs didn't erase teller work. Central Valley banks show how automation changes duties and branch counts.",{},"\u002Fnews\u002Fstephen-moore-s-atm-ai-argument-and-what-it-means-for-valley-bank-jobs","---\nauthor: CVAI Newsdesk\ndate: '2026-08-12'\ndateModified: '2026-08-12'\ndescription: In a Bakersfield column, Stephen Moore says ATMs didn't erase teller\n  work. Central Valley banks show how automation changes duties and branch counts.\ntags:\n- business\n- bakersfield\n- jobs\ntitle: Stephen Moore's ATM-AI argument and what it means for Valley bank jobs\n---\n\n# Stephen Moore's ATM-AI argument and what it means for Valley bank jobs\n\n## Key Takeaways\n\n1. Stephen Moore argued in Bakersfield.com that ATMs didn't erase teller jobs and AI could echo that.\n2. Valley Strong Credit Union employs about 600 people and runs roughly 30 branches in and around Kern County.\n3. Porterville-based Bank of the Sierra operates about 35 branches across the South Valley and Central Coast.\n4. U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics projects teller employment to fall 13% from 2024 to 2034.\n\nAbout 600 people work at Valley Strong Credit Union in Bakersfield, spread across roughly 30 branches from Kern into neighboring counties. So when columnist Stephen Moore wrote Wednesday that automated teller machines didn't wipe out bank teller jobs and that AI may follow a similar arc, the question lands here first: what does that mean for front-counter work in Kern and Fresno.\n\nA familiar story in bank tech.\n\n## What Moore argues\n\nMoore's point is simple: ATMs automated a task, not the occupation. Banks adjusted staffing, opened more branches, and tellers shifted into customer service and product roles. He says AI could do the same for white-collar work, trimming repetitive chores while raising demand for people who solve problems and sell.\n\n## What that looks like here\n\nLocal institutions already reflect that mix of machines and people. Valley Strong keeps branches busy while pushing mobile deposits and bill pay. Bank of the Sierra, headquartered in Porterville, still runs about three dozen locations even as more routine transactions go through kiosks and apps. Fresno First Bank remains a single-branch headquarters that serves most clients remotely, a model that treats the branch like a hub rather than the default stop.\n\nThese choices matter for entry-level hiring and training. More self-service can mean fewer windows open at noon, but the people behind them spend more time on fraud holds, new accounts, small-business questions, and the kind of problem that can't be solved by a screen. The paper deposit slips by the window are still there.\n\n## What the data says about teller jobs\n\nHistory backs parts of Moore's analogy. As ATMs spread, total teller employment held roughly steady for decades because branches multiplied, even as tellers per branch fell. The more recent trend is less forgiving. Mobile banking now does what the ATM couldn't, it takes the whole visit away. Federal projections call for a 13% drop in teller jobs from 2024 to 2034, which lines up with what workers in Fresno and Bakersfield branches describe anecdotally, fewer openings, broader duties.\n\nFor the Valley, that means fewer traditional teller slots over time, then more value on sales, compliance, digital support and cash-handling experience that travels to armored services and back-office roles. It also means the region's lenders have choices. Keep a larger physical footprint, like Porterville's Bank of the Sierra, and you spread the customer load. Go light on branches, like Fresno First, and you hire differently.\n\n## Why readers here should care\n\nBanks and credit unions are steady employers in Kern, Tulare, and Fresno counties. If Moore is right that AI trims tasks more than jobs, the shift shows up in what those jobs ask for, not whether they exist at all. If he's wrong, it shows up in the posting counts. Either way, the stakes are local.\n\nThe sound you hear at a Bakersfield branch gives the summary better than a chart, the quiet clatter of an ATM spitting twenties beside a teller window.\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.bakersfield.com\u002Fopinion\u002Fstephen-moore-what-bank-atms-teach-us-about-ai\u002Farticle_e8a9019f-f13b-43fe-b3de-154ac1a393d3.html\n",{"title":237,"description":346},{"loc":348},"news\u002Fstephen-moore-s-atm-ai-argument-and-what-it-means-for-valley-bank-jobs",[354,83,355],"business","jobs","RtW9yvV9M8iHp_z9nU5CIvN9F_cIrLewdszm4GKhpLI",1786537382810]