California
California publishes first report on generative AI risks, potential use cases | StateScoop
California Gov. Gavin Newsom’s office on Tuesday announced a new report outlining the potential benefits that generative AI could bring to state government — from improving accessibility of the state’s services to bolstering cybersecurity — along with an extensive description of the risks the technology could bring along for the ride.
The report is the first major product of an executive order Newsom issued in September that directed an expansive effort to explore how the emerging technology could be used inside the state government and to capture the economic benefit of a new technology that’s largely developed by California software companies. The 34-page document includes descriptions and examples of six potential ways California could use generative AI, but the bulk of the report is dedicated to exploring the many risks the technology presents — to privacy, security, the state’s workforce, operations, transparency, safety and government accountability.
The report cites ways that generative AI could amplify existing threats and create new ones. Among the manifold new risks outlined in the report are threats as alarming as generative AI’s potential ability to enable “bad actors to design, synthesize, or acquire dangerous chemical, biological, radiological, or nuclear (CBRN) weapons.”
Other threats listed include generative AI’s capacity to support mis- and disinformation campaigns, generate offensive material and to create “deepfakes,” materials that synthesize the likeness, speech or writing of individuals. Authors also pointed out that generative AI can “lower technical barriers” that once kept bad actors from effectively launching campaigns on social media to harm the public’s mental health or polarize politically.
Officials also cited concern with the intractable challenge of identifying how generative AI models reach their conclusions. Sourcing information, the report says, is expected to be a perennial challenge.
Generative AI could also create new risks for California’s cybersecurity efforts, authors wrote. The report notes a handful of examples, including the potential for generative AI to be used to remotely execute harmful code, to modify access permissions, steal or delete data or to create content that emulates officials to aid in cyberattacks.
Generative AI ‘pioneers’
Risks notwithstanding, the report’s authors, a task force created by Newsom’s order that includes statewide Chief Information Officer Liana Bailey-Crimmins, strike a sanguine tone in the state’s press materials.
Bailey-Crimmins, who told StateScoop in an interview last month that the ultimate timeline for this work is on the order of years, not months, said in a press release accompanying the announcement that the state is excited to be “at the forefront” of government’s work in generative AI.
“With streamlined services and the ability to predict needs, the deployment of GenAI can make it easier for people to access government services they rely on, saving them time and money,” she said.
And Amy Tong, California’s government operations secretary, is quoted in the materials as saying that the state has an opportunity to “pioneer” new use cases.
“Through careful use and well-designed trials, we will learn how to deploy this technology effectively to make the work of government employees easier and improve services we provide to the people of California,” Tong said.
The report describes six major use cases that California state agencies stand to benefit from generative AI, including summarizing and classifying unwieldy collections of data, such as meeting notes and public outreach documentation; catering materials to the needs of California’s diverse population, such as by identifying demographic groups who currently struggle to access state services; and expanding the state’s use of foreign languages, such as by converting English educational materials into additional languages and formats, such as audiobooks, large print text and Braille documents.
Three additional use cases for generative AI named in the report are optimizing and converting old computer code into modern languages, or otherwise using it to streamline and “democratize” software development; finding insights that “empower and support” decision-makers, such as by spotting cybersecurity threats earlier; and optimizing the state’s operations in support of environmental considerations, such as by analyzing “traffic patterns, ride requests, and vehicle telemetry data to optimize routing and scheduling for state-managed transportation fleets like buses, waste collection trucks.”
Next steps
With the first step of Newsom’s generative AI order complete, officials are now tasked with developing new training materials for state employees, establishing new partnerships with regional institutions and designing new tools for testing generative AI products before they can be widely deployed. The order also requires an ongoing analysis of how AI is affecting the state.
The order requires the AI task force to develop a “procurement blueprint” that explicates how California can purchase such new software from private companies, while ensuring support of a “safe, ethical, and responsible innovation ecosystem inside state government.” This document is to be created with consideration of the federal government’s AI Bill of Rights and the National Institute for Science and Technology’s AI Risk Management Framework.
The state also plans to create formal partnerships with the University of California, Berkeley and Stanford University to better understand generative AI’s effects. The state plans next year to host a summit to discuss how generative AI is affecting the state and its workforce.
California
Federal homelessness data says California homeless population grew to 187,084 – Washington Examiner
(The Center Square) – Newly released federal data says California’s homeless population grew to 187,084 at the start of 2024, up from 181,399 in 2023, raising questions about the efficacy of the state’s tens of billions of dollars in recent homeless spending.
Most of the state’s increase in homelessness can be attributed to growth in the state’s unsheltered homeless population, which is nearly half of the nation’s total. However, the state’s homeless population did grow much less than the national average, suggesting some of the state’s programs — albeit costly — may finally be making an impact.
In September, California Gov. Gavin Newsom’s office brushed off a CalMatters estimate that the state’s homeless population grew to nearly 186,000, telling The Center Square the organization’s reporting was based on incomplete data that analyzed only 32 of the state’s 58 counties.
“California and other officials use official confirmed data published by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, and not CalMatters’ estimates, which are unverified,” said a Newsom spokesperson to The Center Square in September, when CalMatters released its report.
Now, the verified count from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development recommended by Newsom’s office shows that homelessness is even higher than CalMatters estimated. This 5,685 individual increase in the state’s homeless population could suggest the state’s homelessness efforts — and tens of billions of dollars in recent state funding — have been unable to stop the growth of the state’s homeless population.
Earlier this year a state auditor looked into $24 billion of state homelessness spending, finding “the State lacks current information on the ongoing costs and outcomes of its homelessness programs” because it has “not consistently tracked and evaluated the State’s efforts to prevent and end homelessness.”
Newsom vetoed two widely-supported bipartisan bills to better track and evaluate homelessness spending and outcomes, saying his own directives to increase accountability make the measures redundant.
The state is now home to 123,974 unsheltered homeless individuals — up from 117,424 the year prior — or nearly half of the nation’s total. In 2019 — before the COVID-19 era — California had 151,278 homeless individuals, 108,432 of whom were unsheltered.
Good morning, and welcome to the Essential California newsletter. Here’s what you need to know to start your weekend:
The best movies that capture the essence of California
The Essential California team this year expanded opportunities for readers to directly engage with the newsletter. Each week we ask readers to answer a question — from the best local restaurants to favorite books.
One question in particular got a lot of attention and sparked some debate: What is your favorite movie that captures the essence of California?
Below are the most mentioned movies and comments from readers about what makes these films special to California. We hope this list will help find something to watch this weekend. Enjoy!
“Chinatown”
Adelaide writes: “It doesn’t get more iconic than a film noir that tackles tremendous geopolitical issues that still affect us to this day.”
And Jim writes: “How can you talk about movies that capture the essence of California and not mention one of the greatest movies of all time, ‘Chinatown’? Today, despite the state’s beauty and glorious climate (most of the time), it is still as corrupt and morally bankrupt as it was back in the days of stealing water from the Owens Valley.”
Paul Giamatti, left, and Thomas Haden Church in the 2004 movie “Sideways,” directed by Alexander Payne.
(Searchlight Pictures)
“Sideways”
Raymond Ballesteros writes: “One of my all time favorite movies to see that truly captures the essence of California, hands down, is ‘Sideways.’
“Alexander Payne seizes the beauty and majesty of California’s Santa Barbara wine country, including a handful of wineries that encapsulates the hearts of fellow wine lovers across California and the country. Of course, not to be watched with a glass of Merlot!”
Keanu Reeves, left, and Patrick Swayze in the 1991 film “Point Break.”
(20th Century Fox)
“Point Break”
Fritzi Lareau write: “I am a tour guide and when touring the Golden State I show my guests ‘Point Break’ (the original with Keanu Reeves and Patrick Swayze) or ‘Hollywood Homicide’ starring Harrison Ford.”
Edward James Olmos stars as Garfield High School math teacher Jaime Escalante in 1988’s “Stand and Deliver.”
(Warner Bros. Pictures)
“Stand and Deliver”
Robert Reul writes: “One great film that is 100% California is ‘Stand and Deliver,’ with Edward James Olmos and an amazing cast of young actors. I have found few, if any, films that capture the absolute magic that can happen in the community of first-generation Americans, descended from hard-working Mexican immigrants.”
Jeff Bridges as the title character in the Coen Brothers’ “The Big Lebowski.”
(Merrick Morton / Gramercy Pictures)
Honorable mentions
“Top Gun”
“The Birds”
“The Parent Trap”
“The Big Lebowski”
“Fast Times at Ridgemont High”
“La La Land”
Want to wade into the debate over which movie captures the essence of California? Feel free to email us at essentialcalifornia@latimes.com.
The week’s biggest stories
President-elect Donald Trump, shown at his Mar-a-Lago estate in 2023, is stocking his cabinet with Floridians.
(Evan Vucci / Associated Press)
Florida is winning the political battle with California as Trump takes office
- Trump is stocking his cabinet with Floridians. And his plans to reverse California’s policies on the environment, crime, homelessness and education are facing far less pushback than they did during his first term.
- Gov. Gavin Newsom has vowed to continue the fight against Trump’s policies but without what he called “a resistance brand” that defined his earlier clashes.
- Meanwhile, healthcare is Newsom’s biggest unfinished project. Trump complicates the governor’s task.
Destructive waves keep thrashing Santa Cruz, causing millions of dollars in damage in recent years
Scientists say we are fighting H5N1 bird flu with one hand tied behind our backs
- Scientists and health officials fear we’re on the precipice of another global pandemic as the H5N1 bird flu virus steamrolls its way across the globe. But when that could come to pass is hard to predict.
- Just one mutation can make the bird flu a threat to humans, California researchers found.
- L.A. County health officials are warning pet owners to avoid raw cat food after a feline died of bird flu.
California is growing again
- The Golden State’s population grew by almost a quarter of a million residents in 2024, according to the U.S. Census Bureau, a rebound that brings California almost back to its pre-pandemic numbers.
- While California’s population gain of 232,570 people from July 1, 2023, to July 1, 2024, represents the largest numeric population increase in the nation’s West, it lagged behind Texas, which expanded its population by 562,941, and Florida, which grew by 467,347 people.
More big stories
Get unlimited access to the Los Angeles Times. Subscribe here.
This week’s must reads
(Emiliano Ponzi / For The Times)
A California inmate recruited “wives” to spread fentanyl across Alaska, federal authorities say.
The prisoner, Heraclio Sanchez Rodriguez, oversaw a sprawling drug ring that spread death and addiction to the most remote corners of Alaska, prosecutors say.
More great reads
How can we make this newsletter more useful? Send comments to essentialcalifornia@latimes.com.
For your weekend
Refresh yourself on “Squid Game” before starting Season 2 on Netflix.
(No Ju-han / Netflix)
Going out
Staying in
How well did you follow the news this week? Take our quiz.
(Times staff and wire photos)
Which creature gets top billing in the title of the Barry Jenkins–directed “Lion King” prequel that hit theaters last week? Plus nine other questions from our weekly news quiz.
Have a great weekend, from the Essential California team
Hunter Clauss, multiplatform editor
Check our top stories, topics and the latest articles on latimes.com.
Winning $1.22B Mega Millions ticket sold in California
One Californian has plenty of dough to ring in the New Year after drawing the winning number. After three months without anyone winning the top prize, a ticket worth an estimated $1.22 billion was sold for the drawing Friday night.
One Californian has plenty of dough to ring in the New Year after drawing the winning number. After three months without anyone winning the top prize, a ticket worth an estimated $1.22 billion was sold for the drawing Friday night.
According to the California State Lottery, the jackpot ticket was sold in Cottonwood, within Shasta County limits. Two other 5 out of 5 winning tickets were sold in California; one in Roseville and another in San Bernardino.
The winner matched the white balls 3, 7, 37, 49, 55 and the gold Mega Ball 6. The identity of the winner was not immediately known.
The total amount of the Mega Millions jackpot would only be distributed to a winner who chooses an annuity paid over 29 years. Nearly all grand prize winners opt to take a cash payout, which for Friday night’s drawing is an estimated $549.7 million.
Despite the game’s long odds of 1 in 302.6 million, players continued to purchase tickets as the size of the grand prize grew. Until Friday, the last time a Mega Millions player hit the top prize was Sept. 10.
The largest-ever Mega Millions jackpot ticket worth $1.6 billion was sold in Florida in August 2023. Two prizes for its compatriot Powerball lottery have been larger.
Mega Millions and Powerball are sold in 45 states, as well as Washington, D.C., and the U.S. Virgin Islands. Powerball also is sold in Puerto Rico.
KTVU contributed to this report.
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