News reporting focused on AI and machine learning, covering the companies behind these technologies, their real-world applications, and the ethical concerns they raise. This includes areas like generative AI (large language models, text-to-image and video), speech tech, and predictive analytics.
Kaiser Permanente nurses who handle advice and triage calls report that workplace surveillance, including AI tools that monitor call length and empathy, is undermining patient care. Nurses say pressure to keep calls under 15 minutes leads to rushed interactions and fear of discipline. The California Nurses Association is negotiating a new contract with AI as a key issue.
Anthropic, the AI startup valued at nearly $1 trillion, is urging states to adopt stricter AI regulations beyond the transparency laws it supported in California and New York last year. The company's head of state government relations says self-reporting is no longer sufficient for the most powerful AI systems. Critics accuse Anthropic of regulatory capture, but the company denies the claim.
Former and current Meta employees have filed a lawsuit in California federal court, alleging the company used internal AI systems to generate layoff lists that disproportionately targeted employees with disabilities and those on protected leave. The lawsuit claims the AI selection process led to 8,000 job cuts in May, with one plaintiff notified just two days before giving birth. Meta denies the allegations, stating that all personnel decisions are made by humans.
California Governor Gavin Newsom signed the first executive order by a U.S. governor aimed at shielding workers from AI-driven job displacement. The order directs state agencies to work with researchers, unions, and the AI industry on strategies including subsidies for companies that keep employees, expanded retraining for office workers, and a review of universal basic capital. Newsom cited predictions that half of all office jobs could vanish within five years and criticized the tax system for rewarding automation over hiring.
Nine California jurors deliberate narrow questions in Elon Musk's lawsuit against OpenAI cofounders Sam Altman, Greg Brockman, and Microsoft. Issues include breach of charitable trust over Musk's donations, unjust enrichment via the for-profit arm, and Microsoft's role in aiding any breach. OpenAI counters with statute of limitations arguments tied to dates like August 5, 2021, unreasonable delay in filing until 2024, and Musk's unclean hands doctrine.
During a federal trial in Oakland, California, Elon Musk's lawyer asked OpenAI CEO Sam Altman if he is trustworthy. Altman testified that Musk sought control of the AI lab and pushed for a merger with Tesla before leaving in 2018. The case centers on OpenAI's shift from nonprofit to for-profit status, which Musk claims violates its founding mission.
Amp, a startup in Menlo Park, California, has secured more than $1.3 billion to build a global pool of specialized computer chips for AI training. Founded by Anjney Midha, the company aims to provide access to computing power for startups, universities, and others excluded by tech giants like Amazon, Google, Anthropic, and OpenAI. Investors include Andreessen Horowitz and Y Combinator, with partners such as Periodic Labs and ElevenLabs joining the effort.
The Musk v. Altman jury trial in California federal court has started to reveal key exhibits from OpenAI's early days. Emails from 2015 show initial plans, tensions over control, and structure debates. Documents include incorporation papers, funding talks, and concerns about competition with Google DeepMind.
Elon Musk testified that xAI partly used OpenAI models through distillation to train Grok. The admission came during a federal trial in California over OpenAI's direction. Model distillation involves a larger AI teaching a smaller one, a practice sparking legal debates in the industry.
Elon Musk sues OpenAI CEO Sam Altman, claiming deception in the company's shift to for-profit status. The trial starts this week in Northern California and could affect OpenAI's planned IPO and leadership. Witnesses include key figures from OpenAI and Microsoft.
A jury trial begins Monday in Oakland, California, where Elon Musk seeks over $150 billion in damages from Sam Altman and OpenAI. The dispute stems from OpenAI's founding in 2015 as a nonprofit and its later shift to profit-driven operations. Key figures like Microsoft's Satya Nadella will testify in a case that could reshape the AI industry.