Government
California announces AV regulation, fines for robotaxis that impede emergency responders
Mashable's Best: E-readers, robovacs, laptops, earbuds, smart home and more Mashable Selects Look Up Say More Top creators, ranked Gift Ideas For Everyone On Your List Creator Playbook In My Bag AI at School Safety Net Versus Trending Now All Series Lawmakers are pushing for national emergency response standards. Chase joined Mashable's Social Good team in 2020, covering online stories about digital activism, climate justice, accessibility, and media representation. California, a hub for robotaxis, sets fines for vehicles that get in the way. Hundreds of thousands of autonomous vehicle rides are completed every week across the U.S. Most of them go off without a hitch. But all it takes is one wayward car to ruin someone's day -- and potentially threaten lives.
California's new laws target workers' biggest fear of AI taking their jobs
Gavin Newsom speaks at Google's San Francisco office about'creating an AI-read workforce', a joint effort with some of the world's leading tech companies to help better prepare California's students and workers for the next generation of technology. Gavin Newsom speaks at Google's San Francisco office about'creating an AI-read workforce', a joint effort with some of the world's leading tech companies to help better prepare California's students and workers for the next generation of technology. California's new laws target workers' biggest fear of AI taking their jobs California's laws aimed at protecting workers from the impacts of artificial intelligence could pave the way for broader workplace safeguards across the US as calls for regulating the technology mount. As the federal government goes hands-off on AI, California is taking the reins to address workers' biggest fears. On Thursday, California governor Gavin Newsom signed a suite of new laws that ban bosses from relying entirely on AI to decide whether to fire workers, using it to predict employees' emotional states or collecting neural data, meaning the information from electrical signals of someone's brain or nerves.
California will fine robotaxi companies if their vehicles block first responders
California Governor Gavin Newsom has signed into a law new rules for robotaxis, including one that that's meant to address concerns that they could get in the way of emergency services. Newsom signed Senate Bill 1246, which will establish local penalties for robotaxi companies if their vehicles block first responders, such as ambulances and fire trucks, for more than 30 minutes in case of emergencies. Several events over the past year have heightened people's worries that driverless cars could hinder emergency services from responding in a timely manner. In December 2025, several Waymo vehicles got stuck in the middle of San Francisco roads after a power outage that took out the city's traffic lights. During this year's Fourth of July celebrations, Waymo vehicles also had to be towed away after they ran out of power and got stranded due to heavy San Francisco traffic. Outside of California, in Austin Texas, a Waymo car blocked an ambulance that was responding to a shooting.
The Future of Wildfire Response: AI, Drones, and Robots
The tech is "expected to enhance early detection, tracking, suppression efficiency, and firefighter safety." Get your news from a source that's not owned and controlled by oligarchs. During the Sand Creek Fire, which has burned since the start of August in southwestern Montana, difficult terrain and fire-weakened trees posed hazards to crews searching for areas still smoldering on steep slopes after the blaze passed. So instead of relying only on firefighters to find hidden embers, fire managers used unmanned aircraft to seek out heat sources. The operation is part of a broader technological shift underway in wildfire response.
AI agents can now make phone calls for you
This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Quotes displayed in real-time or delayed by at least 15 minutes. Market data provided by Factset . Powered and implemented by FactSet Digital Solutions . Mutual Fund and ETF data provided by LSEG . An AI-generated influencer entered Alabama'RushTok' -- Some fans didn't care that she was fake Make unknown callers explain why they're calling Is your personal data changing what you pay online? Apple's $250M Siri settlement: How to claim up to $95 The next connected device could be the shirt you're wearing'Steamrolled': Congressman warns local backlash could derail national security push She created a Bama rush influencer out of nothing. Citadel CEO: We've lost the narrative on data centers This will be'such a gift' to humankind: Charles Payne Andrew Bailey blasts FBI exit'lies' and reveals why he's leaving the bureau Meta's Muse AI assistant raises major cybersecurity and privacy concerns With over 3 million downloads for canceling unwanted subscriptions, Meta's Muse AI assistant is raising security alarms. Liz Peek warns that users must grant the AI access to personal bank accounts, credit cards, emails, and texts to make it effective.
We Won't Know the Answers to AI's Most Important Questions Until It's Too Late
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A new NASA mission plan could capture light no space telescope now sees
Mashable's Best: E-readers, robovacs, laptops, earbuds, smart home and more Mashable Selects Look Up Say More Top creators, ranked Gift Ideas For Everyone On Your List Creator Playbook In My Bag AI at School Safety Net Versus Trending Now All Series Elisha Sauers writes about space for Mashable, taking deep dives into NASA's moon and Mars missions, chatting up astronauts and history-making discoverers, and jetting above the clouds . Through 17 years of reporting, she's covered a variety of topics, including health, business, and government, with a penchant for public records requests. She previously worked for in Norfolk, Virginia, and in Annapolis, Maryland. Her work has earned numerous state awards, including the Virginia Press Association's top honor, Best in Show, and national recognition for narrative storytelling. For each year she has covered space, Sauers has won National Headliner Awards, including first place for her Sex in Space series.