By Matt O’Brien, AP Technology Writer Before the mayor of San Jose, California, arrives at a ribbon-cutting ceremony for a new business, his aides ask ChatGPT to help draft some talking points. “Elected officials do a tremendous amount of public speaking,” said Mayor Matt Mahan, whose recent itinerary has taken him from new restaurant and...
California lawmakers worry AI will hurt entry-level tech jobs
California lawmakers, whose state is home to the most advanced artificial intelligence developers, are concerned that Congress is not prepared to respond to a job market where AI takes over entry-level jobs in the technology sector. It’s not clear yet how often AI is replacing — or will replace — entry-level jobs, but there are...
Silicon Valley cities hit with request for residents’ emails to train AI
Bay Area residents who emailed their officials in the past few years may be surprised to learn their correspondence could train a company’s AI for future use. Mountain View-based company GovernmentGPT filed 90 California Public Records Act requests with multiple cities across the Bay Area for emails from residents addressed to mayors, councilmembers and city...
Santa Clara politicians turn to ChatGPT for advice
Santa Clara officials said they’ve used ChatGPT at two public meetings, sparking concerns about the use of artificial intelligence to inform decision makers. Artificial intelligence tools have been growing in popularity as cities like San Jose use it to improve road safety or translate public meetings. But the technology is still plagued with misinformation problems,...
San Jose mayor says AI driving Spanish speakers’ participation
San Jose Mayor Matt Mahan says Spanish-speaking participation at city meetings has increased 300% through the use of artificial intelligence translation software. But critics are finding errors in the tool — and question if it’s really driving the increase. Mahan made the declaration in Miami, Florida Thursday during a discussion about AI in government at...
San Jose could restrict use of AI tools to set rent prices
San Jose housing advocates say corporate property owners are taking advantage of the latest artificial intelligence tech to drive up rent prices — and renters are feeling the financial pain. Councilmember Peter Ortiz has proposed a policy to restrict the sale and use of “algorithmic devices” to set rents or manage home occupancy levels in the city....
San Jose uses AI to streamline government
San Jose is a beehive of artificial intelligence innovation, with the city continuing its integration of the technology into every day services to improve the lives of residents. Now that AI is more accessible than ever, Mayor Matt Mahan along with other city officials are using it to identify problems and strategize solutions. San Jose is already using AI to...
San Jose spearheads nationwide AI safety group
While San Jose is getting cozy with artificial intelligence, the city is preparing safety nets for its own partnerships. The city published a set of employee guidelines on AI last July. Now, it’s nearly done with an AI policy with requirements for companies that work with San Jose. This policy was created in tandem with...
San Jose turns to AI for language translation
San Jose is expanding its language translation options in public meetings by using artificial intelligence. The city launched its partnership with Wordly, an AI-based service that offers live translation in 50 languages. Translation will be available at all San Jose City Council and council committee meetings. City officials say it’s more affordable and efficient than...
Sunnyvale taps AI to translate public meetings
Sunnyvale residents who don’t speak English have a new way to engage and participate in city meetings. The city is piloting an artificial intelligence-based translation service upon request for public meetings through Wordly. The technology offers live translation in more than 50 languages. Using AI is more cost effective and efficient than human translators, according...