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Meet Nithya Raman, the Progressive Democrat Who Secured the Second Spot in LA Mayor Race

TIME - Tech

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Claude AI: Why are there so many internet outages?

New Scientist

Claude AI: Why are there so many internet outages? AI chatbot Claude going down is just one example of a recent IT outage. Anthropic's Claude chatbot recently had service troubles This week, AI chatbot Claude went down, leaving users unable to access the service via its maker Anthropic's website, but barely a week goes by without a similar incident at a technology giant, government website or hospital . One of the main vulnerabilities of the modern internet is the shift to cloud computing, meaning a huge range of websites and services now rely on just a handful of companies, such as Amazon and Microsoft. In the early days of the commercial internet in the 1990s, companies used to operate their own hardware and software, a bit like individual shops in a street.


Waymo Hits a Rough Patch In Washington, DC

WIRED

The company's robotaxi service is supposed to launch in the US capital this year. But while service rollouts have been relatively smooth in other cities, DC's rules have made things tricky. Waymo, the Alphabet subsidiary that develops self-driving vehicle tech, has picked up speed. The company now operates robotaxis in six cities and has announced plans to launch in a dozen others this year. It j ust raised $16 billion in a new round of funding and says it has served over 20 million rides since the company launched its service in 2020, 14 million of them in 2025 alone.


People Are Protesting Data Centers--but Embracing the Factories That Supply Them

WIRED

As the data center backlash grows, support is growing for server factories and the hundreds of jobs they're expected to bring. Last month, Pamela Griffin and two other residents of Taylor, Texas, took to the lectern at a city council meeting to object to a data center project. But later, they sat back as council members discussed a proposed tech factory. Griffin didn't speak up against that development. A similar contrast is repeating in communities across the US.


Santa Monica orders Waymo to stop noisy overnight operations at charging stations. Neighbors rejoice

Los Angeles Times

Things to Do in L.A. Tap to enable a layout that focuses on the article. Santa Monica orders Waymo to stop noisy overnight operations at charging stations. Self-driving vehicles charge at the Waymo station at the corner of Euclid Street and Broadway in Santa Monica. This is read by an automated voice. Please report any issues or inconsistencies here .


Riverside wants to become 'the new Detroit.' Can this self-driving electric bus get it there?

Los Angeles Times

There is a little shuttle bus in the Inland Empire that's fueled with big aspirations. It's electric, tops out at 25 mph, and can only go on a pre-designated route set up by the Riverside Transit Agency. But here's a catch -- it also drives itself. As of Monday, commuters in Riverside are the first in the country to ride a fully self-driving, publicly accessible bus that is deployed by a city transit agency. "I like to say I have no lesser ambition than to be the new Detroit for vehicle manufacturing," Riverside Mayor Lock Dawson said.


Debate: How to stop our cities from being turned into AI jungles

#artificialintelligence

As artificial intelligence grows more ubiquitous, its potential and the challenges it presents are coming increasingly into focus. How we balance the risks and opportunities is shaping up as one of the defining questions of our era. In much the same way that cities have emerged as hubs of innovation in culture, politics, and commerce, so they are defining the frontiers of AI governance. Some examples of how cities have been taking the lead include the Cities Coalition for Digital Rights, the Montreal Declaration for Responsible AI, and the Open Dialogue on AI Ethics. Others can be found in San Francisco's ban of facial-recognition technology, and New York City's push for regulating the sale of automated hiring systems and creation of an algorithms management and policy officer.


Defunded Austin PD takes so long to respond to DUI crash, driver sobers up and walks free: Family

FOX News

Det. Thomas Villarreal of the Austin Police Association discusses the PD's decision to implement artificial intelligence software in an effort to alleviate their officer shortage on'Fox & Friends Weekend.' A couple hit head on by a suspected drunk driver in Austin, Texas, said it took 2.5 hours for police to respond to the crash – allowing the driver to sober up and avoid charges. Lacey Purciful told Fox News Digital the family called 911 five times after the March 18 crash, but the several understaffed police department left them waiting. Purciful said she was driving with her husband Dustin and two children down Jollyville Road in North Austin at around 4 p.m. after a day at the aquarium when a male driver cut across two lanes of traffic and slammed into them head-on. "Head on, didn't hit the brakes, airbags deployed, screaming kids, smoke, adrenaline, we started screaming, and got the kids out of the car," Purciful told Fox News Digital about the crash.


Mistakes were made (and that's fine)

#artificialintelligence

Forgive the scattered nature of this week's Actuator. No big, overarching monologs this week -- just a handful of things I've been thinking about lately that I'd like to get down on paper. I suppose that's one of the perks of doing a weekly newsletter-- it forces you to flesh out some bigger ideas. Point number one is failure. Ingrained in the American psyche (as I'm sure is the case with many other cultures around the world) is an inability to reckon with our mistakes.


City Council to vote on LAPD robot dog donation amid growing criticism

Los Angeles Times

Amid lingering concerns about surveillance and safety, the Los Angeles City Council is expected to vote Tuesday on whether to accept the donation of a dog-like robot for the LAPD. The vote will determine whether the department gets the controversial device, which would be paid for with a nearly $280,000 donation from the Los Angeles Police Foundation. The Police Commission and the council's public safety committee have approved the move. The department said it intends to deploy the device in limited scenarios and primarily for reconnaissance. Nicknamed Spot, it can climb stairs, open doors and navigate rugged terrain, giving police a set of eyes in potentially dangerous situations while keeping officers out of harm's way, officials say.