L.A. Times - Technology News

How Waymo and Waze are pitching in to help solve L.A.'s pothole problem

Itzel Luna — Tue, 14 Apr 2026 10:00:00 GMT

Waze, a GPS navigation company, is teaming up with Waymo to use the company's self-driving cars to detect potholes in Los Angeles and four other major metro areas.

OpenAI CEO Sam Altman addresses Molotov cocktail attack on his home and AI backlash

Queenie Wong — Mon, 13 Apr 2026 10:00:00 GMT

Questions linger about what motivated the attack against OpenAI's Sam Altman. "We should de-escalate the rhetoric and tactics," Altman wrote in a blog post.

Scattered showers expected Sunday through Monday in L.A.

Queenie Wong, Karen Garcia — Sun, 12 Apr 2026 02:58:19 GMT

Weather forecasts for Los Angeles and Southern California predict rain this weekend, which could linger through Monday. There's also a 15% to 25% chance of thunderstorms.

Police union pulls support for city attorney after leak of thousands of LAPD files

Richard Winton, Libor Jany — Fri, 10 Apr 2026 10:00:00 GMT

A data breach at the city attorney's office led to a massive cache of LAPD files being dumped online. Here's what we know about how it happened, what was leaked and what it means for the city.

Chabria: Wipe out a 'civilization'? Minor stuff compared with what just happened in AI

Anita Chabria — Fri, 10 Apr 2026 10:00:00 GMT

A real strike on civilization as we know it occurred in Silicon Valley, where a new AI super-brain was locked up because it's too powerful — and unpredictable.

Meta, Oracle and Qualcomm share details on layoffs across California

Queenie Wong — Thu, 9 Apr 2026 10:00:00 GMT

Recent filings to the California Employment Development Department provide more details about job cuts at major tech companies.

AI boom catapults San Francisco median home price above $2 million

Queenie Wong — Wed, 8 Apr 2026 10:00:00 GMT

Home prices in San Francisco hit a record $2.5 million in March as wealth from the AI boom flowed through the city.

Iran attempting cyberattacks against critical U.S. infrastructure, officials say

Michael Wilner — Tue, 7 Apr 2026 18:27:46 GMT

The Iranian cyber activity comes as President Trump threatens to target Iran's critical infrastructure, particularly its bridges and power plants.

Consumers aren't clicking the PayPal button. It's a big problem for California's fintech pioneer

Queenie Wong — Fri, 3 Apr 2026 10:00:00 GMT

PayPal's stock has dropped as it faces a slowdown in branded checkout and more competition from Apple and Google. With a new chief executive at the helm, the company sits at another turning point.

Contributor: Investigate the AI campaigns flooding public agencies with fake comments

Mary Nichols — Wed, 1 Apr 2026 10:01:00 GMT

Recent campaigns for corporate interests hit new lows in their attempts to misrepresent the will of the people and deceive officials.

A $17-million bet brought ChatGPT to CSU campuses. A year later, AI distrust leaves many divided

Jaweed Kaleem — Wed, 1 Apr 2026 10:00:00 GMT

CSU's multimillion-dollar AI push across its campuses is showing mixed results, according to a major survey of 94,000 students, faculty, and staff from 22 campuses.

Oracle lays off thousands in latest sign of tough times for tech industry

Queenie Wong — Wed, 1 Apr 2026 10:00:00 GMT

The cuts come as the software giant invests billions of dollars in expanding its artificial intelligence infrastructure.

Apple turns 50: How a garage startup became a $3.5-trillion titan

Queenie Wong — Mon, 30 Mar 2026 10:00:00 GMT

The maker of the iPhone, iPad and other popular consumer gadgets hits a milestone this week, reaching its 50th anniversary.

L.A. social media addiction verdict set to unleash more lawsuits — and force changes

Sonja Sharp — Sat, 28 Mar 2026 10:00:00 GMT

Civil juries in Los Angeles County and Santa Fe, N.M., recently found that social media companies were responsible for harms their products caused to children. The bellwether cases could now open the floodgates for a deluge of similar lawsuits.

How the landmark verdict against Meta and YouTube could hit their businesses

Queenie Wong — Sat, 28 Mar 2026 10:00:00 GMT

Meta and Alphabet, the parent company of YouTube, saw their stock price drop this week after a jury found the companies liable for the design and operations of their platforms, harming a young user.

California bill would require parent bloggers to delete content of minors on social media

Katie King — Thu, 26 Mar 2026 23:41:10 GMT

The legislation would require the parent or other relative to delete or edit the content within 10 business days of receiving notification.

Netflix prices are rising again, hitting $27 a month

Cerys Davies — Thu, 26 Mar 2026 20:25:53 GMT

For the second time in a little over a year, Netflix is raising the prices on all three of its subscription plans.

Sony and Honda pull plug on the $100,000 EV that was set to debut in California

Caroline Petrow-Cohen — Thu, 26 Mar 2026 10:00:00 GMT

After the Japanese automaker Honda discontinued plans for three of its EVs, its joint venture with Sony announced it's shutting down its luxury EV Afeela.

Commentary: Sora's demise doesn't mean the AI bubble is bursting anytime soon

Mary McNamara — Thu, 26 Mar 2026 10:00:00 GMT

The end of Sora is not the first domino or the bursting of the AI bubble. But it does make clear that AI isn't magic, nor are those who are making and marketing it infallible.

Landmark L.A. jury verdict finds Instagram, YouTube were designed to addict kids

Sonja Sharp — Wed, 25 Mar 2026 17:31:56 GMT

The outcome Wednesday in Los Angeles County Superior Court is potentially precedent-setting for thousands of other pending lawsuits nationwide and could reshape how tech companies are held accountable for children's harm caused by their products.

Supreme Court makes it harder for music and movie makers to sue for online piracy

David G. Savage — Wed, 25 Mar 2026 16:27:16 GMT

The Supreme Court threw out Sony's lawsuit accusing Cox Cable of contributing to music piracy.

As streaming subscription fees rise, more consumers opt to pay less and watch ads

Cerys Davies — Wed, 25 Mar 2026 11:00:00 GMT

Last year, four streaming services raised their prices, prompting many of their customers to elect the more affordable ad-supported tiers. According to new research from Deloitte, two-thirds of streaming subscribers are now paying for ads, revealing an increase in price sensitivity.

New Mexico social media lawsuit ends in $375-million verdict against Meta

Sonja Sharp — Tue, 24 Mar 2026 22:38:22 GMT

A verdict handed down in a civil trial involving Meta was the first monetary judgment against a social media company for alleged harms its products caused to kids.

Epic Games lays off 1,000 employees, citing dip in 'Fortnite' popularity

Cerys Davies, Samantha Masunaga — Tue, 24 Mar 2026 19:01:12 GMT

Amid gaming industry woes and a lack of "Fortnite" popularity, Epic Games is cutting costs and laying off 1,000 staffers.

Walmart delivery by Google company drone may soon be coming to the San Francisco Bay Area

Queenie Wong — Tue, 24 Mar 2026 17:51:56 GMT

The drone startup has been partnering with retailer Walmart and delivery platform DoorDash to make deliveries in major areas such as Houston, Atlanta and Dallas.

Zoox robotaxis to roam in more San Francisco neighborhoods and cover new cities

Caroline Petrow-Cohen — Tue, 24 Mar 2026 13:00:00 GMT

Amazon-backed robotaxi firm Zoox is quadrupling its service area in San Francisco, adding destinations in Las Vegas and preparing to launch in Austin and Miami.

Pentagon's Anthropic bashing rekindles Silicon Valley's resistance to war

Queenie Wong — Fri, 20 Mar 2026 10:00:00 GMT

Technology companies are backing Anthropic after it sued the Trump administration over its designation as a supply chain risk.

AI pilot program in L.A. County courts will help judges craft rulings in some cases

James Queally — Wed, 18 Mar 2026 10:00:00 GMT

A select panel of L.A. County judges now have access to an artificial intelligence tool that can help them summarize motions and draft rulings in civil court. The tool, Learned Hand, is already in use by judges in 10 states, according to the company's CEO.

SoCal's defense startups secure vital funding boost

Laurence Darmiento — Wed, 18 Mar 2026 10:00:00 GMT

A bill to reauthorize Small Business Administration programs that fund defense startups in Southern California and elsewhere passed Congress on Tuesday.

Amazon speeds up deliveries in L.A. and elsewhere with one-hour option

Queenie Wong — Tue, 17 Mar 2026 18:29:41 GMT

The e-commerce giant said customers will have the option to get items delivered in three hours or less if they pay a fee.

Grindr says users can now tap AI for better matches

Iris Kwok — Tue, 17 Mar 2026 14:04:59 GMT

The company has dubbed its AI gAI, which is pronounced "gay eye." It says it will become an "intelligence layer across the entire app."

Another billionaire confirms California exit: Uber co-founder Kalanick

Queenie Wong — Mon, 16 Mar 2026 20:02:13 GMT

Kalanick, who launched a new robotics startup Atoms, told tech talk show TBPN that he became a Texas resident in December.

Lopez: My promise to you: AI didn't write this column, and if it's after my job, it'll be over my dead body

Steve Lopez — Sat, 14 Mar 2026 12:00:00 GMT

AI keeps trying to complete our thoughts and sentences, but are there as many risks as benefits?

Anduril set to acquire Orange County space surveillance company

Iris Kwok — Thu, 12 Mar 2026 10:00:00 GMT

The purchase of ExoAnalytic Solutions, for an undisclosed sum, is meant to boost Anduril's capabilities in space domain awareness, battle management and fire control.

Lawsuit alleges Google chatbot was behind a user's delusions and death

Queenie Wong — Fri, 6 Mar 2026 11:00:00 GMT

Google is the latest tech company facing safety concerns over its AI chatbot.

Hundreds of applications, no jobs and AI competition: California's brutal tech work landscape

Queenie Wong — Fri, 6 Mar 2026 11:00:00 GMT

Thousands of tech workers have already lost their jobs this year and leaders at some companies say AI will enable employers to do more with smaller teams.

Hiltzik: In two new court cases, judges find that AI does not have human intelligence

Michael Hiltzik — Fri, 6 Mar 2026 11:00:00 GMT

In cases involving copyright and attorney-client privilege, these courts have ruled that AI bots aren't human.

Netflix buys Ben Affleck's AI film tech company, InterPositive

Cerys Davies — Thu, 5 Mar 2026 19:18:38 GMT

Netflix moves into the AI space, with the purchase of Ben Affleck's unveiled AI tech company, InterPositive.

How our AI bots are ignoring their programming and giving hackers superpowers

Nilesh Christopher — Thu, 5 Mar 2026 12:00:00 GMT

Welcome to the age of AI hacking, in which the right prompts make amateurs into master hackers.

Startup Varda Space Industries snags former Mattel plant in El Segundo

Roger Vincent, Laurence Darmiento — Wed, 4 Mar 2026 11:00:00 GMT

Varda Space Industries will occupy a former Mattel facility in El Segundo, giving it additional capacity to manufacture spacecraft at scale.

AI actor Tilly Norwood's world is expanding with the 'Tillyverse'

Cerys Davies — Mon, 2 Mar 2026 19:25:14 GMT

Xicoia, the AI talent studio responsible for creating AI actor Tilly Norwood, has plans to further develop the bot's digital universe. It's called the "Tillyverse."

Surveillance company Flock generates controversy — and a roster of L.A. clients

Libor Jany — Sun, 1 Mar 2026 11:00:00 GMT

Other cities have ended their relationships with Flock Safety over its ties to the federal government and concerns about cybersecurity and privacy. But connections in the L.A. area endure.

Trump orders federal agencies to stop using Anthropic's AI after clash with Pentagon

Queenie Wong — Fri, 27 Feb 2026 23:44:34 GMT

Anthropic, the AI company behind the chatbot Claude, has raised concerns about the use of technology for surveillance and autonomous weapons.

Chabria: The Pentagon is demanding to use Claude AI as it pleases. Claude told me that's 'dangerous'

Anita Chabria — Thu, 26 Feb 2026 23:15:45 GMT

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has threatened Anthropic, the maker of Claude AI, that if it doesn't turn over full use of the powerful tool by Friday, the company will face severe repercussions.

Block to cut more than 4,000 jobs amid AI disruption of the workplace

Queenie Wong — Thu, 26 Feb 2026 23:01:29 GMT

Fintech company Block said Thursday that it's cutting more than 4,000 workers or nearly half of its workforce as artificial intelligence disrupts the way people work.

Instagram to alert parents if their teens search for suicide or self-harm terms

Queenie Wong — Thu, 26 Feb 2026 18:19:56 GMT

The alerts from Instagram, which is owned by Facebook parent company Meta, comes as tech companies face more scrutiny over teen safety.

Outside group spends $4.8 million on TV ads backing San Jose Mayor Matt Mahan for governor

Seema Mehta — Thu, 26 Feb 2026 14:00:00 GMT

An independent expenditure committee announced it is spending $4.8 million on TV ads to support the gubernatorial bid of San Jose Mayor Matt Mahan.

Battle of the AI brands: What's behind the bad blood between OpenAI and Anthropic

Queenie Wong — Thu, 26 Feb 2026 11:00:00 GMT

The two companies have been publicly taking jabs at each other as they contend in the race to dominate AI.

Uber unveils new services as it prepares to bring robotaxis to L.A. soon

Caroline Petrow-Cohen — Tue, 24 Feb 2026 11:00:00 GMT

Uber is planning to bring shared, autonomous taxis to Los Angeles later this year through a partnership with Volkswagen. The service will use electric minivans.

Influencers want to adopt the 'analog lifestyle' for 2026. Here's how to join them

Karen Garcia — Sat, 21 Feb 2026 11:00:00 GMT

Influencers dubbed 2026 as the year of the "analog life." Experts say people are looking to reduce distractibility and related stress.

In a frenetic digital era, he's helping Angelenos rediscover the classic cassette player

Oliver Wang — Fri, 20 Feb 2026 11:00:00 GMT

Spencer Richardson, who's bringing rehabbed music technology back into circulation, is finding that millennials are increasingly drawn to analog devices in an era when everything else disappears into the digital ether.

Bernie Sanders kicks off billionaires tax campaign with choice words for the 'oligarchs'

Seema Mehta — Thu, 19 Feb 2026 11:00:00 GMT

Populist Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), who has a long history of support from liberal California voters, formally kicked off a billionaires tax proposal on Wednesday at the Wiltern in Los Angeles.

Billionaires Spielberg, Zuckerberg eyeing East Coast, stirring concerns about California's wealth-tax proposal

Seema Mehta — Thu, 19 Feb 2026 11:00:00 GMT

Filmmaker Steven Spielberg recently moved to Manhattan and Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg is eyeing property in South Florida as a labor union tries to place a wealth tax on the November ballot in California.

Netflix and Warner Bros join Disney and Paramount in calling out ByteDance's latest AI platform

Cerys Davies — Wed, 18 Feb 2026 22:02:12 GMT

Just last week, ByteDance launched its AI video platform, Seedance 2.0, and ever since, AI-generated videos using copyrighted materials have continued to go viral. Studios like Disney, Paramount, Warner Bros. and Netflix are now calling out the Chinese company with cease and desist letters.

Mark Zuckerberg testifies in L.A. trial over claims social media makes kids addicted

Sonja Sharp — Wed, 18 Feb 2026 19:22:45 GMT

The Meta chief executive was called to the witness stand in a civil trial over a lawsuit that accuses Instagram of knowingly causing harm to children.

OpenAI blocked from using Cameo name for its AI video features

Queenie Wong — Wed, 18 Feb 2026 11:00:00 GMT

The celebrity video platform Cameo sued OpenAI, accusing the company of infringing its trademark.

Rivian finds a way to shine even as the EV market struggles in the dark

Caroline Petrow-Cohen — Fri, 13 Feb 2026 22:42:02 GMT

After multiple years of layoffs and negative profits, the electric vehicle maker Rivian reported promising earnings for 2025. The Irvine-based automaker is getting ready to release its cheapest vehicle yet.

Parents who blame Snapchat for their children's deaths protest outside company's headquarters

Queenie Wong — Fri, 13 Feb 2026 22:29:17 GMT

Parents who say social media played a role in the death of their children are pushing for more safety features and disable its AI chatbot.

Instagram boss defends app from witness stand in trial over alleged harms to kids

Sonja Sharp — Wed, 11 Feb 2026 22:25:26 GMT

The head of Instagram, Adam Mosseri, testified in an L.A. civil trial over a lawsuit that alleges the company and co-defendant YouTube knew their products were harmful to children.

Super Bowl spots spark fight over whether we're ready for ads from our chatbots

Nilesh Christopher — Wed, 11 Feb 2026 11:00:00 GMT

Super Bowl ad exposes battle over whether AI chatbots should be delivering ads

Meta, TikTok and others agree to teen safety ratings

Queenie Wong — Wed, 11 Feb 2026 11:00:00 GMT

The Mental Health Coalition said the new color-coded ratings will examine a company's safety rules, design choices, mental health resources and other factors.

'Ass power!' Hundreds gather in L.A. to play a video game about donkeys and the resistance

Todd Martens — Tue, 10 Feb 2026 11:00:00 GMT

The touring video game show "asses.masses" reached Los Angeles, and brought with it a crowd ready for action.

Trial starts in L.A. lawsuit alleging Instagram and YouTube knew apps harmed kids

Sonja Sharp — Mon, 9 Feb 2026 23:39:36 GMT

A closely watched test case could rewrite the rules of engagement for social companies and their youngest users — and leave tech titans on the hook for billions in damages.

AI's latest 20-something billionaire got his start at L.A. garage sales

Nilesh Christopher — Sat, 7 Feb 2026 11:00:00 GMT

Meet the LA boy who turned a multi-millionaire starting an AI training company

One of California's first labor fights over AI is playing out at Kaiser

Queenie Wong — Fri, 6 Feb 2026 11:00:00 GMT

From anxiety about job loss to data privacy, mental health workers, lawmakers and labor unions are trying to mitigate AI's risks as healthcare providers double down on the technology.

Tesla is no longer No. 1: This is how a Chinese competitor surged past the EV pioneer

Caroline Petrow-Cohen — Fri, 6 Feb 2026 11:00:00 GMT

Tesla is no longer No. 1: This is how a Chinese competitor surged past the EV pioneer

Labor unions urge Gov. Gavin Newsom, California lawmakers to rein in artificial intelligence

Katie King — Thu, 5 Feb 2026 02:21:21 GMT

National union leaders urged Gov. Gavin Newsom to protect workers as AI threatens to replace or surveil employees — and warned that failure to do so could hurt his presidential ambitions.

Californian tech company to move headquarters to Florida

Queenie Wong — Sat, 31 Jan 2026 11:00:00 GMT

D-Wave Quantum Inc. said it will relocate its headquarters to Boca Raton, Fla., before the end of the year.

Ex-Google engineer convicted of stealing AI trade secrets to benefit China

Alex Wigglesworth — Sat, 31 Jan 2026 02:31:23 GMT

A federal jury on Thursday convicted Linwei Ding, 38, of seven counts of economic espionage and seven counts of theft of trade secrets after an 11-day trial in the U.S. District Court in the Northern District of California.

Dream of owning a flying car? This California company is already selling them

Caroline Petrow-Cohen — Fri, 30 Jan 2026 11:00:00 GMT

Pivotal is a Palo Alto-based company developing an ultralight, electric aircraft for recreational use and short-haul travel.

Waymo under scrutiny after hitting child near Santa Monica elementary school

Caroline Petrow-Cohen, Salvador Hernandez — Thu, 29 Jan 2026 19:37:14 GMT

A Waymo driverless taxi in Santa Monica struck a child last week while traveling around six mph.

These California companies want you to ditch your keyboard

Nilesh Christopher — Thu, 29 Jan 2026 11:03:00 GMT

People to ditch their keyboards for microphones.

Pinterest to cut up to 15% of its workforce as focus on AI intensifies

Queenie Wong — Wed, 28 Jan 2026 11:00:00 GMT

The company said it would use the cost savings to partly fund AI-focused roles and teams.

Is social media harmful for kids? Meta and YouTube face trial after TikTok settles suit

Sonja Sharp — Tue, 27 Jan 2026 18:09:32 GMT

Jury selection was scheduled to began in L.A. County Superior Court on Tuesday in the first of a series of closely-watched lawsuits seeking to prove social apps inflict harm on children, but a last-minute agreement by TikTok left uncertainty around how the case would proceed.

As Newsom slams suppression of anti-Trump content, TikTok blames a technical glitch

Clara Harter, Iris Kwok — Tue, 27 Jan 2026 06:21:39 GMT

California Gov. Gavin Newsom launched an investigation into reports of TikTok suppressing anti-Trump content following complaints that videos critical of the president received zero views or dramatically low engagement.

Lockheed Martin, PG&E, Salesforce and Wells Fargo team up to help battle wildfires

Queenie Wong — Mon, 26 Jan 2026 18:58:14 GMT

The companies announced a new venture on Monday to help firefighters prevent, detect and respond more quickly to wildfires.

Autodesk to cut 1,000 workers as the tech company bets on AI

Queenie Wong — Fri, 23 Jan 2026 20:58:40 GMT

The San Francisco-based company said it's slashing roughly 7% of its global workforce.

TikTok has finalized its U.S. joint venture, ending saga over its fate

Cerys Davies — Fri, 23 Jan 2026 15:37:58 GMT

After years of uncertainty over whether TikTok would be banned in U.S., the viral social media platform has officially finalized its deal to create a U.S. joint venture.

Anduril to invest another $1 billion in California with new Long Beach campus

Roger Vincent — Thu, 22 Jan 2026 18:45:59 GMT

Anduril to invest another $1 billion in California with new Long Beach campus

This L.A. startup uses SpaceX tech to cool data centers with less power and no water

Nilesh Christopher — Thu, 22 Jan 2026 17:56:28 GMT

Karman Industries says it has developed a cooling system that uses SpaceX rocket engine technology to rein in the environmental impact of data centers.

A spooky immersive game is happening at the old Griffith Park Zoo

Todd Martens — Wed, 21 Jan 2026 11:00:00 GMT

Koryn Wicks' "Ghosts in the Machine," which uses augmented reality technology, takes participants up stairs, around pathways and into now-deserted enclosures. It's a haunting way to explore the park.

California crypto startup moves to South Dakota as debate over proposed wealth tax heats up

Queenie Wong — Wed, 21 Jan 2026 11:00:00 GMT

BitGo is moving its headquarters from Palo Alto to Sioux Falls, S.D.

California exceeds clean car goal despite declining federal support

Caroline Petrow-Cohen — Tue, 20 Jan 2026 21:39:30 GMT

California has surpassed a goal set in 2012 to put 1.5 million zero-emission vehicles on the road by 2025, Gov. Gavin Newsom announced at the World Economic Forum.

Explaining California's billionaire tax: The proposals, the backlash and the exodus

Queenie Wong — Mon, 19 Jan 2026 17:59:09 GMT

Here is a list of some of the billionaires who've made moves to leave California.

L.A.'s defense industry is booming. Federal funding crunch could change that

Laurence Darmiento — Mon, 19 Jan 2026 11:00:00 GMT

A dispute over reforms to an SBA program that funds startups has cut the flow of seed money to Southern California's defense tech firms.

GameStop shutters stores across California

Iris Kwok — Fri, 16 Jan 2026 11:00:00 GMT

The video game retailer is reportedly shedding stores nationwide