Providence Technology Group

California could soon deploy generative artificial intelligence tools to help reduce traffic jams, make roads safer and provide tax guidance, among other things, under new agreements announced Thursday as part of Gov. Gavin Newsom’s efforts to harness the power of new technologies for public services. The state is partnering with five companies to create generative AI tools using technologies developed by tech giants such as Microsoft-backed OpenAI and Google- and Amazon-backed Anthropic that would ultimately help the state provide better services to the public, administration officials said. “It is a very good sign that a lot of these companies are putting their focus on using GenAI for governmental service delivery,” said Amy Tong, secretary of government operations for California....[Read More]

If you visited a Planned Parenthood in the continental United States in the past few years then the company Near Intelligence, a data broker, probably knew it — and may have sold that information to anti-abortion activists. If you attended certain houses of worship or patronized particular pharmacies, the data broker known as Outlogic allegedly sold that information. Near Intelligence filed for bankruptcy in December. Outlogic agreed to a settlement with the Federal Trade Commision to stop selling user location data, while insisting regulators had found “no misuse of any data.” Both were among nearly 90 companies on the latest version of the California data broker registry that self-reported selling data about where people are or have been. For the first time this year California requires ...[Read More]

Former National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) Director Anthony Fauci called health misinformation “the enemy of pandemic control.” Around the US, public health officials are grappling with how to keep their communities safe from the potentially deadly effects of medical misinformation, disinformation, and malinformation. Misinformation is false or inaccurate information spread in error, regardless of intent. Disinformation is misinformation that is knowingly or intentionally spread by bad actors. Malinformation is information based on fact but purposely taken out of context to mislead others. Keep Reading This Article at the AWS Blogs

CalMatters’ Digital Democracy is a powerful new way for Californians to understand and participate in their state government. Digital Democracy is: A searchable database where anyone can access information to better understand issues. A website that brings state government to life for the public. A smart AI tool that searches the data and generates news tips for journalists. “As a journalist who has been watching the California state government for nearly 30 years, it’s clear to me that the politicians and the decision-making process have become more opaque,” says David Lesher, CalMatters co-founder and senior editor, who’s leading the Digital Democracy initiative. “The transparency created by Digital Democracy is about how the people we elect are weighing the special interests and the pub...[Read More]

In the Records Room of the CalEPA building in Sacramento are some of the most important documents in the entire state of California. Some date back to 1914. “Our files are organized in ascending order,” explained Matthew Jay, an analyst with the State Water Resources Control Board. “The oldest documents are at the bottom and so you can see that some of the stuff is all typewritten and in a lot of cases, handwritten.” The papers are what’s known as water rights – the backbone of life in California and its multitrillion dollar economy. Water rights are official documents validating who has the authority to take water, from where, and how much of it. Keep Reading This Article at the abc10.com

The California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) recently announced the launch of the CDFW License App for mobile devices. The new application allows residents and nonresidents to display California sport fishing licenses and validations on their mobile phones and other mobile devices in lieu of a physical license. Users may also download and view various CDFW online resources, including hunting and fishing regulations booklets, the Fish Planting Schedule and access the Online License Sales and Services website. Keep Reading This Article at the Escalon Times

As artificial intelligence technology advances, state agencies would like to make use of it. California as of today is one of the first states with formal rules for government departments to follow when buying AI tools. The guidelines introduced this week are the product of an executive order aimed at challenges and opportunities from generative AI by Governor Gavin Newsom late last year. Generative AI produces text, imagery, audio, or video from simple text prompts. Since the release of ChatGPT in fall 2022, the technology has triggered fear of job loss, election inference, and human extinction. The technology can also produce toxic text and imagery that amplifies stereotypes and enables discrimination. Keep Reading This Article at CalMatters

Carmen Marsh can say something with confidence that many can’t: She always enjoys her jobs. Twenty-five years ago, she found her passion for technology and has stuck with the profession ever since. She now ensures other women have a chance to discover this passion as the president and CEO of United Cyber Security Alliance, a Roseville-based nonprofit she founded in 2020 that provides a platform for women to learn and advance in cybersecurity. Originally from Sweden, Marsh is also the CEO and managing partner of Inteligenca, a cybersecurity risk management consulting company she co-founded with Paula Dube in 2017. Inteligenca serves small businesses that lack the big budgets to buy expensive software or the in-house staff to maintain security safeguards. “Paula and I understood that there’s...[Read More]

Jessica Wittner is getting some deserved time off — just a day or so to decompress with family before jumping back into the work of being one of NASA’s newest astronauts.   “I’m filled with excitement and energy right now,” Wittner told The Bee in a phone interview Tuesday, following a graduation ceremony at Johnson Space Center in Houston. This is the dream scenario for the Clovis native and Buchanan High School graduate. She was 12 when she first verbalized wanting to be an astronaut. She joined the U.S. Navy after graduation and became an aviation mechanic. She earned a Bachelor of Science in Aerospace Engineering from the University of Arizona and a master’s degree from the U.S. Naval Postgraduate School. Keep Reading This Article at MSN.com

Debra Snell thought she did her research. Before she and her husband signed the paperwork on their new red Toyota Mirai last March, they went to a hydrogen fueling station near their home in Grass Valley, California, northeast of Sacramento. There, on two consecutive weekends, they interviewed members of a small but proud group: drivers who, attracted to environmental benefits, low price tags, and automaker and state incentives, took a chance on the first hydrogen fuel-cell electric vehicles (FCEVs). “We got mostly very good reviews,” Snell says. After years of promises, drivers and salespeople told her, hydrogen fueling was really coming together. The Snells, who are retired, care about the environment. When they bought the hydrogen fuel-cell car, “we felt like it was a really pioneering ...[Read More]

The exchange of health information is at the core of national efforts to transform our health care delivery system to generate value for patients. Over the last few years, the federal government, alongside many states, has worked to enable not only the exchange of data, but also the practical use of the data to improve outcomes and disrupt the deep inequities in our health care system. These disparities in outcomes were further exposed during the COVID-19 pandemic and in many communities fueled the spread of the virus. As we look to build back better from the pandemic, and as we drive greater connections between disparate systems—health care, public health, and social services— we have a unique opportunity to leverage the power of health information exchange to improve how we work together...[Read More]

Samsung Semiconductor has announced the opening of its newest office in Folsom. The news of the tech giant planting roots in the city came Thursday afternoon as Folsom Mayor Mike Koslowski closed his 2024 State of the City speech to a sold out crowd at Lakeside Church. “We’re excited to announce that Samsung Semiconductor is opening a brand new office, right here in Folsom,” said Koslowski. “This strategic move strengthens Folsom’s position as a city of choice for businesses and allows the city to harness local talent, fueling innovation in the semiconductor industry.” Koslowski shared that the facility will, “contain an research and development  (R&D) hub like no other,” featuring an Advanced Compute Lab and an Advanced Controller Development team. Keep Reading This Article at the Fol...[Read More]