Conflicting mandates chill innovation and create a compliance nightmare while putting national security at risk. A federal moratorium on state regulation would be a good step toward developing a coherent national strategy.
Future in Context
The organization that popularized civic hackathons is now taking on the responsible use of AI in government. Code for America draws on the collective expertise of the public, tech and nonprofit sectors to tackle societal challenges.
Sonoma County officials hope the new policy will act as a guide for how to appropriately use AI technology for emails, reports, job descriptions, spreadsheet calculations and more. But the policy prohibits using confidential or specific county information.
A poll found that 56 percent of California Latinos see artificial intelligence as “just a new tool,” while the remaining 44 percent said the tech was a bad idea and would cost people jobs.
Deepfake images and videos are just one way AI could disrupt the upcoming election. Experts are highlighting risks that could cause bigger problems and helping election officials prepare for them.
They personify the misinformation inundating the political system, targeting Democrats and Republicans alike and reaching tens of millions of people. There doesn’t seem to be much that can be done about them.
It can help in a range of ways, from identifying competitive advantages to training the workforce that will be needed for success. But it can’t replace human judgment.
JusticeText aims to improve the efficiency of legal defense by using automated transcription services and case management tools to streamline case evidence organization. The software is only available to public defenders.
Attorney General Ken Paxton sued the Facebook parent company in 2022, claiming it had used personal biometric data without permission.
Lawmakers are proposing hundreds of measures to micromanage and control this emergent technology. A complicated regulatory framework could devastate America’s technology businesses and global competitiveness.
Companies sometimes set “personalized” prices online based on a customer’s ability or willingness to pay, using algorithms and artificial intelligence to sort through data. The FTC is investigating how widespread it is.
The company behind ChatGPT funded a three-year research program on the impacts of universal basic income. It found that the extra income allowed participants to be more selective about career choices and have more time for leisure.
Advocates say that artificial intelligence has the potential to streamline agriculture tasks and help make farming greener. But there are still concerns about wasting time sorting through data and protection of privacy.
A 2023 study found that 90 percent of the state’s beaches tested positive for unsafe levels of fecal bacteria for at least one day. Fecal contamination can come from urban runoff, sewage overflows and factory farms.
Future in Context
State lawmakers are working to define key terms and address risks as AI gets integrated into everyday life. California state Sen. Thomas Umberg talks about balancing regulation and innovation.
AI-trained cameras are putting eyes — hundreds of them — on land across the state. They're spotting fires before the 911 calls come in.
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