Technology

A person using a computer. Photo by Yui Mok, PA via AP Images

Commentary

AI reminded me to lead in my classroom, not follow someone else’s dictates

This change isn’t just about technology. It’s about whether teachers reclaim their role as designers of learning or wait to be told what to do next.

By Al Rabanera • March 25, 2026

A group of women that are inmates at a prison walk in their blue uniforms down an exterior path. One person is wearing a red shirt. To the left, stands a red brick building with bars on the window and razor wire over the top.

Justice

Digital tablets mellowed California prisons. Now a tech migration is riling users

Every incarcerated person in a California prison has a digital tablet enabling communication with the outside world. A new vendor is bringing more streaming entertainment, but with a cost.

By

Joe Garcia

• March 24, 2026

A person wearing a black business suit stands on top of a stage, talking in front of an audience of people, while pointing back to a large spacecraft with the words “Blood Moon” on it.

Commentary

Government money made Silicon Valley’s tech titans rich. A billionaire tax won’t hurt them

The public helped create tech fortunes via government grants, defense contracts and corporate-friendly regulation. Some payback is in order.

By Duane Roberts • March 24, 2026

A view of a car in the foreground passing in front of a billboard in a city, depicting a person on a laptop working, reads “Put AI Agents to Work For People.”

Commentary

California’s AI employment laws look tough, but they leave workers exposed

If an algorithm denies someone a job, demotes or fires them, the harm is immediate. It’ll take months, or years, to determine if bias was involved.

By Alberto Rocha • March 23, 2026

An aerial view shows a large data center complex surrounded by warehouses and industrial buildings in a dense urban area. The main structure has a white facade with vertical window slits and a flat roof filled with cooling units, pipes, and mechanical equipment.

Commentary

California’s data centers should be models of affordable, clean electricity

With thoughtful planning, California can gain new data centers in ways that benefit ratepayers, improve grid reliability and minimize environmental harms.

By Sam Uden and Matthew Freedman • March 11, 2026

An illustration in green, red, blue and yellow tones that shows a desktop computer screen with an open window tab that resembles a Pokemon battle scene. At one end of the screen is a pixelated student and at the other is a wolf that represents a chatbot. The illustration includes a bubble text that reads "where can students get free food on campus?" alongside other bubbles of text with red exclamation points.

College Beat

California colleges spend millions on faulty AI systems: ‘The chatbot is outdated’

Community colleges are spending millions on AI-powered chatbots that students say often give inaccurate answers. Many might see upgrades this year.

By

Martin Romero

• March 6, 2026

A football player in a red jersey leaps with arms fully extended to catch a pass while a defender in a white uniform runs toward them on a field, with sideline figures blurred in the background.

Technology

To attend prom or a football game, California students first had to surrender their data

The state’s privacy protection agency is fining PlayOn $1.1 million for violating state law. The company, which operates the ticketing service GoFan, required students and parents to share their data to access tickets for high school events.

By

Adam Echelman

• March 3, 2026

Education

Modern parenting means apps for sports, school and more. Where is the data going?

California is a national leader in data privacy. Yet state law has gaps that allow companies to collect and sell students’ data.

By

Adam Echelman

• February 20, 2026

A close-up view of people's hands typing or scrolling on their laptops at an event.

Commentary

Silicon Valley flexes financial muscle in governor’s race and wealth tax battle

Compared to other sectors of California's economy, Silicon Valley hasn't doled out as much campaign money or hired as many lobbyists — until now.

By

Dan Walters

• February 20, 2026

A speaker addresses microphones at a labor press conference on artificial intelligence, with advocates standing behind them and signs reading “Demand Guardrails on Big Tech.”

Technology

Union leaders have a message for Newsom: Regulate AI if you want to be president

Leaders from the AFL-CIO, representing 2.3 million nationwide members, say Gov. Gavin Newsom needs to focus on the technology’s harms to win support for his presidential run.

By

Khari Johnson

• February 4, 2026