L.A. Times - Technology News

PayPal adds another round of layoffs

Annika Duneja — Fri, 4 Sep 2026 19:19:38 GMT

Paypal, the digital payments company, is laying off 251 employees at its San Jose headquarters in another round of layoffs, according to a Sep. 3 government filing.

Tesla's Cybercab launch triggers federal safety probe

Caroline Petrow-Cohen — Fri, 4 Sep 2026 15:55:04 GMT

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration opened an investigation into Elon Musk's Cybercab one day after its launch in Austin, Texas.

This local toy store was built on the back of Hello Kitty. Then the TikTok trolls came for it

Iris Kwok — Fri, 4 Sep 2026 10:00:00 GMT

JapanLA, a 20-year-old shop known for selling cute products, has survived the e-commerce disruption by peddling products on TikTok Shop. But after its Sonny Angel dolls exploded in popularity, the store's owner saw the dark side of online auctions.

From $300,000 EVs to dancing bots: The El Segundo firm sliding into Tesla's slipstream

Caroline Petrow-Cohen — Thu, 3 Sep 2026 10:00:00 GMT

Faraday Future, a high-end electric vehicle company, is moving its focus to AI and humanoid robots that could aid in education, housework and companionship.

How the influencer industry is taking center stage in Burbank

Cerys Davies — Thu, 3 Sep 2026 10:00:00 GMT

As traditional film and TV production keeps shrinking in Los Angeles, YouTube creators are expanding into Burbank's soundstages.

Apple, Google rename Lake Ontario to Lake America after Trump order

Queenie Wong — Wed, 2 Sep 2026 19:53:54 GMT

Tech companies that provide navigation apps are contending with how to handle President Trump's renaming of Lake Ontario amid a trade war with Canada.

Reining in Big Tech: How California lawmakers plan to regulate AI and social media

Queenie Wong, Dakota Smith — Tue, 1 Sep 2026 00:57:01 GMT

California lawmakers advance bills targeting addictive social media, artificial intelligence in the workplace and voracious data centers amid mounting public anxiety over technology's harms.

Hollywood studios have sued over AI. Now Google is courting them to use its tools

Wendy Lee — Mon, 31 Aug 2026 10:00:00 GMT

Tech giant Google has been quietly making overtures to major studios as it tries to find ways to get Hollywood to use its AI technology.

'We're not changing it': SoCal-based Mapquest takes stand against Trump's 'Lake America'

Corinne Purtill — Sun, 30 Aug 2026 20:20:22 GMT

Like a voice of dissent from 2005, the mapping site holds firm to Lake Ontario despite Trump's executive order stemming from his escalating trade war with Canada.

What Meta's $17-billion settlement revealed about the harms of social media

Sonja Sharp — Sat, 29 Aug 2026 10:00:00 GMT

Evidence presented during a civil trial leading up to Meta's costly settlement with California and other states revealed that company employees had repeatedly raised concerns about young users of Facebook and Instagram being exposed to bullying, harassment and explicit content.

Is Long Beach ready for a floating nuclear power plant? Here's what to know

Caroline Petrow-Cohen — Fri, 28 Aug 2026 10:00:00 GMT

How a tiny startup plans to float nuclear reactors off Long Beach to keep the lights on

Meta's 'Big Tobacco moment' leaves parents asking if social media is too dangerous for kids

Queenie Wong, Nilesh Christopher — Fri, 28 Aug 2026 10:00:00 GMT

From Australia to India, other countries have also been cracking down on the use of social media by teens.

Apple's rare Bay Area layoffs hit Vision Pro and Siri teams amid AI shakeup

Annika Duneja — Thu, 27 Aug 2026 10:00:00 GMT

Apple's rare Bay Area layoffs hit Vision Pro and Siri teams amid AI shake-up

Meta to pay $17 billion, overhaul Facebook and Instagram in teen addiction settlement

Queenie Wong, Sonja Sharp — Wed, 26 Aug 2026 13:43:10 GMT

Meta has agreed to pay $17 billion and add child-safety measures to its Facebook and Instagram platforms to end a landmark trial over teen social media addiction and settle claims filed by 47 states

What to know about the big 'Grand Theft Auto' leaks

Cerys Davies — Tue, 25 Aug 2026 10:00:00 GMT

Ahead of its November release, scenes from the highly anticipated video game 'Grand Theft Auto VI' have been circulating online.

Mark Zuckerberg buys an Irish castle

Queenie Wong — Sat, 22 Aug 2026 10:00:00 GMT

Mark Zuckerberg and other tech moguls have been purchasing property outside of California.

San Francisco Bay Area dethroned as largest tech talent market

Queenie Wong — Thu, 20 Aug 2026 10:00:00 GMT

The size of New York's tech talent workforce surpassed the San Francisco Bay Area for the first time as tech companies lay off workers, a new report from CBRE shows.

'Brazen act of self-dealing': Democrats seek to block a Trump-linked crypto bank

Ana Ceballos — Tue, 18 Aug 2026 20:43:41 GMT

The Office of the Comptroller of the Currency granted conditional approval for the Trump family's World Liberty Trust Co. to become a bank handling cryptocurrency and digital assets.

'The young ones are the best ones': Meta on trial for alleged effort to hook kids

Sonja Sharp — Tue, 18 Aug 2026 19:38:50 GMT

A trial got underway Tuesday in California's multibillion-dollar lawsuit against Meta, a case that experts say could have major implications for how social media companies operate and target young users.

OpenAI introduces 'ChatGPT for Teens' as AI safety concerns mount

Queenie Wong — Tue, 18 Aug 2026 14:25:31 GMT

The San Francisco tech company has faced lawsuits that allege ChatGPT is harming young people. OpenAI said its product for teens will have more safety protections.

Hollywood strikes first AI copyright truce with ByteDance

Wendy Lee — Mon, 17 Aug 2026 13:00:00 GMT

The Motion Picture Assn. said it reached an agreement with ByteDance over its AI tools.

Meta, fighting accusations of hurting kids, is dealt major blow over key witness

Sonja Sharp — Sun, 16 Aug 2026 21:33:07 GMT

A federal judge dealt a blow to Meta just days before a blockbuster trial where the company is accused of developing products that are addictive to children.

Netflix plans to close two gaming studios, including one in Hollywood

Wendy Lee — Fri, 14 Aug 2026 18:06:45 GMT

Netflix said it has closed Hollywood-based Night School and plans to close Helsinki, Finland-based Moonloot.

Google co-founder pours more than $100 million into fighting California's billionaire tax

Queenie Wong — Wed, 12 Aug 2026 10:00:00 GMT

Brin has been pouring money into Building a Better California, a group that's backing two measures that could nullify a proposed billionaire tax.

Spotify to label 'AI personas' and exclude AI music from personal recommendations

Cerys Davies — Tue, 11 Aug 2026 13:00:00 GMT

Next month, a new label intended for AI music personas, will appear on Spotify. The Swedish streaming platform will label AI-generated music and remove the tracks from users' personal recommendations.

Race to replace Pelosi enters the AI group chat

Iris Kwok — Tue, 11 Aug 2026 10:00:00 GMT

Scott Wiener's congressional campaign launched a chatbot parodying rival Connie Chan, sparking a rebuke from Pelosi and illustrating the minefield politicians navigate when using AI.

If you don't hear the siren, police are sure you'll feel the Rumbler

Andrew J. Campa — Mon, 10 Aug 2026 10:00:00 GMT

The Los Angeles Police department announced its intention to install the low-frequency Rumbler siren into 20 black-and-white vehicles before a larger expansion. The Rumbler interacts with a standard police siren and amplifies that sound through its speakers.

Is social media addiction real? Law and science collide in blockbuster federal suit

Sonja Sharp — Sat, 8 Aug 2026 10:00:00 GMT

Attorneys for Meta and other companies have argued that because social media addiction has not been formally recognized by the medical community, they cannot be held liable when sued over it. But the standard for a diagnosis is changing, and judges have been skeptical of those arguments.

Meta ordered by New Mexico judge to pay $567 million in landmark child safety case

Queenie Wong — Fri, 7 Aug 2026 18:50:02 GMT

The new penalty is in addition to the $375 million Meta was ordered to pay in March. The company plans to appeal.

TikTok to close Nashville office, lay off 250 employees

Wendy Lee — Thu, 6 Aug 2026 18:51:12 GMT

TikTok on Wednesday said it is closing its Nashville office, laying off 250 employees.

Another bot from a top AI company escapes and hacks multiple firms

Nilesh Christopher — Sat, 1 Aug 2026 10:00:00 GMT

Anthropic's Claude goes rogue and hacks three organizations while testing

Trust, not tracking: Inside the L.A. company that got workers back to the office

Roger Vincent — Thu, 30 Jul 2026 10:00:00 GMT

In January, Riot Games revamped its morale-hurting return-to-office rules to allow more flexibility. The result? Attendance and productivity have risen.

Once high-flying PayPal becomes a takeover target as it attempts a turnaround

Queenie Wong — Wed, 29 Jul 2026 10:00:00 GMT

Stripe and Advent International reportedly made a bid to take over the payments company for $60.50 per share, valuing the company at roughly $53 billion.

OpenAI bot's rogue attack rattles industry leaders, policymakers and consumers

Nilesh Christopher — Wed, 29 Jul 2026 10:00:00 GMT

What will happen to the world if artificial intelligence bots break free from our control and act independently?

Hollywood fights AI in public while quietly building it into movies

Nilesh Christopher — Sun, 26 Jul 2026 10:01:00 GMT

Job postings reveal studios are quietly adopting AI.

Chabria: AI companies are creating 'all-powerful psychopaths.' Maybe not a great idea?

Anita Chabria — Thu, 23 Jul 2026 19:31:46 GMT

This week, OpenAI revealed that one of its AI models broke out into the wild and did a bunch of hinky stuff. How many times do we need to hear this story before someone does something to protect humans?

Judge approves Anthropic's $1.5-billion settlement with authors

Nilesh Christopher — Thu, 23 Jul 2026 11:00:00 GMT

A U.S. judge approved the $1.5-billion settlement Anthropic agreed to pay authors whose pirated books it used to train its chatbot Claude.

They built AI. Now Silicon Valley workers protest its threat to jobs and humanity

Queenie Wong — Wed, 22 Jul 2026 10:01:00 GMT

Activists, tech workers and more are sounding the alarm about AI's risks and proposing various solutions to curb technology's risks that include job displacement.

If you watch YouTube, it may owe you $100

Annika Duneja — Wed, 22 Jul 2026 10:00:00 GMT

YouTube settlement: how to claim up to $100 from the class-action suit

Sony Music Entertainment files new lawsuit against AI startup Udio

Wendy Lee — Tue, 21 Jul 2026 19:03:10 GMT

Sony Music Entertainment on Monday filed a new lawsuit against AI startup Udio, alleging the company infringed on the copyrights of more than 30,000 recordings.

Ben Affleck's AI company is sold for more than $500 million

Cerys Davies — Tue, 21 Jul 2026 10:00:00 GMT

Netflix purchased Ben Affleck's AI company in March. A new security filing revealed the streamer giant paid $587 million in cash for the actor's film tech company.

This is how Tennessee tries to woo Paramount and other companies away from California

Lily Wright — Sat, 18 Jul 2026 10:00:00 GMT

Tennessee is hoping to persuade Paramount to exit California and join the growing number of businesses choosing the Volunteer State over California

Meta accused of using AI to pick employees with medical conditions for layoffs

Queenie Wong — Thu, 16 Jul 2026 10:00:00 GMT

Twenty-six current and former Meta employees, including some from California, allege the company violated federal and state laws. Meta denied the accusations.

SpaceX stock erases all its gains and slides below IPO price in intraday trading

Annika Duneja — Thu, 16 Jul 2026 10:00:00 GMT

SpaceX shares dipped below their IPO price of $135 on Wednesday morning for the first time since listing, signaling dwindling hype around the Elon Musk company.

Economists, tech leaders warn AI could bring 'large-scale job displacement' and other risks

Queenie Wong — Tue, 14 Jul 2026 10:00:00 GMT

Hundreds of well-known economists and tech leaders including from companies such as Anthropic, OpenAI and Google signed a letter urging action now so AI "complements humans and benefits society."

With AI character Tilly Norwood set for feature-film debut, Hollywood debates what it means to be an actor

Josh Rottenberg — Mon, 13 Jul 2026 10:00:00 GMT

As AI-generated characters proliferate, Hollywood is confronting questions about authorship, artistry and whether a program can truly be an actor.

Nobel Prize winner leaving UC Berkeley for new role in China

Corinne Purtill — Fri, 10 Jul 2026 17:06:18 GMT

Omar Yaghi will lead an AI institute at Tsinghua University in Beijing.

Even in the heart of L.A., they still rely on old-fashioned landlines and don't want to lose them

Jenny Jarvie — Fri, 10 Jul 2026 10:00:00 GMT

Living high up in the Hollywood Hills, Peter and Nanci Ellis think of their landline as a lifeline.

Billionaire exodus? California drew 10 times more venture capital than any other state this year

Nilesh Christopher — Fri, 10 Jul 2026 10:00:00 GMT

Billionaire exodus? California drew 10 times more venture capital than any other state this year

Meta discontinues Instagram feature on new AI image generation tool after Hollywood backlash

Wendy Lee — Thu, 9 Jul 2026 10:00:00 GMT

Meta's Muse Image AI tool lets users remix public Instagram photos — and CAA, SAG-AFTRA and talent managers say it puts creators at risk.

Jennifer Siebel Newsom sought to redefine the role of first spouse. Now, she faces her biggest test

Jenny Jarvie — Tue, 7 Jul 2026 10:00:00 GMT

Siebel Newsom faces a predicament as her husband positions himself as Trump's chief antagonist and prepares for a possible 2028 White House run.

Xbox cuts 3,200 jobs as gaming business struggles

Cerys Davies — Mon, 6 Jul 2026 18:15:02 GMT

As Microsoft continues to invest significantly in AI, its gaming division, Xbox, is making major cuts to its workforce and selling several of its studios.

AI actor Tilly Norwood to star in first movie

Wendy Lee — Mon, 6 Jul 2026 17:45:47 GMT

Digital actor Tilly Norwood will star in her first movie, a comedy drama called 'Misaligned.'

China-backed AI tool behind fake Brad Pitt fight making Hollywood inroads

Nilesh Christopher — Fri, 3 Jul 2026 10:00:00 GMT

The former majority owner of TikTok has quietly continued to court filmmakers, independent artists and executives who are eager to learn more about the AI video generation model called Seedance.

As Trump reports $2.2 billion in 2025 income, ethics experts raise alarms

Jenny Jarvie — Wed, 1 Jul 2026 23:23:24 GMT

Critics described President Trump's money-making ventures as "bribery" and "corruption." The White House denied any conflicts of interest.

Gas giants use AI to raise prices, lawsuit says, another algorithmic hit to the cost of living

Audrey McGlinchy — Wed, 1 Jul 2026 10:00:00 GMT

A class-action lawsuit alleges gas station companies operating in California used algorithmic pricing software to set prices artificially high.

After Amazon drops OpenAI movie 'Artificial,' film finds new home at Neon

Wendy Lee — Tue, 30 Jun 2026 23:08:49 GMT

"Artificial," the movie that chronicles the time when OpenAI Chief Executive Sam Altman was ousted from and later reinstated at the company, has found a new home after Amazon dropped the film earlier this month.

Anthropic partners with California to expand AI use by government workers

Queenie Wong — Mon, 29 Jun 2026 19:48:57 GMT

State agencies will be able to access Anthropic's AI assistant Claude at a discounted price along with free training as part of an effort to use technology to make government more efficient.

Swipeless online dating? How AI is reshaping the search for love

Queenie Wong — Sun, 28 Jun 2026 10:00:00 GMT

Traditional dating apps including Tinder, Grindr and Bumble and California startups are experimenting with how AI could reshape how people find love online.

Cisco to lay off more than 400 workers in California

Queenie Wong — Fri, 26 Jun 2026 19:48:34 GMT

The San José tech company informed the state that the job cuts will occur in their San Francisco Bay area offices.

Snap sued by parents of girl who was raped by man she met on Snapchat

Queenie Wong — Thu, 25 Jun 2026 22:02:36 GMT

The lawsuit alleges that Snap, the parent company of disappearing messaging app Snapchat, failed to disable and warn its users about "dangerous" features used by predators.

Snap CEO Evan Spiegel and Miranda Kerr help erase $550 million in medical debt for Californians

Queenie Wong — Thu, 25 Jun 2026 16:00:00 GMT

The couple donated millions of dollars to Undue Medical Debt, a national nonprofit that helps pay off medical bills. The gift will affect more than 261,000 Californians in medical debt.

Kids sit in windows as Waymo travels through Westside. Witness alerts company; car doesn't stop

Andrew J. Campa — Wed, 24 Jun 2026 02:34:07 GMT

Santa Monica resident Rojia Shahsavani said she witnessed three boys taking selfies and sitting on the open window ledges of a white Waymo that traveled from Santa Monica into West L.A. last Friday.

Why tech stocks are getting hammered

Queenie Wong — Tue, 23 Jun 2026 21:42:26 GMT

Share prices in big AI players such as Nvidia and Micron Technology dropped on Tuesday as investors grow wary about whether massive AI spending will pay off.

'The ability to say no': Artists demand consent over AI use of their music

Cerys Davies — Tue, 23 Jun 2026 20:39:32 GMT

As labels strike deals with AI start-ups, advocacy groups warn that the artists whose voices and work make those deals valuable are being shut out.

'I got crushed': AI giants are funding ad wars in races across the country

Ben Wieder — Sun, 21 Jun 2026 10:00:00 GMT

In some races, the AI-backed political groups have spent more than the candidates they are backing.

As Hollywood leans into AI, the real battle is over likeness and who gets paid

Cerys Davies — Fri, 19 Jun 2026 10:00:00 GMT

AI is evolving, and the entertainment industry is working to adapt. At UCLA's annual Entertainment Symposium, Hollywood's key lawyers and dealmakers debate the future.

Billionaire tax proposal faces hurdles as it moves closer to November ballot

Queenie Wong, Seema Mehta — Thu, 18 Jun 2026 04:46:09 GMT

The proposal tentatively qualified for the November ballot after election officials verified petition signatures gathered by supporters of the billionaire tax, but it could be derailed.

Snap unveils its $2,195 augmented reality glasses as rivalry with Meta heats up

Queenie Wong — Tue, 16 Jun 2026 20:42:48 GMT

Snap's Chief Executive Evan Spiegel jabbed at rival Meta and explained why he thinks smart glasses represent the "next major leap in computing" at a conference in Long Beach.

People are betting on elections in prediction markets. Congress is watching

Justine McDaniel, Queenie Wong — Tue, 16 Jun 2026 18:03:32 GMT

As prediction markets stir debate over betting on politics, the Los Angeles mayoral race raised a new question: What happens when people wager on elections?

Trump's feud with AI company Anthropic keeps heating up

Queenie Wong — Tue, 16 Jun 2026 10:00:00 GMT

Anthropic officials are expected to meet with the White House on Monday after the US government, citing national security concerns, ordered the company to cut off access to its latest AI models.

Anthropic shuts down Mythos access after sweeping U.S. order

Maggie Eastland, Hadriana Lowenkron — Sun, 14 Jun 2026 01:09:37 GMT

Anthropic Shuts Down Mythos Access After Sweeping US Order

FBI seizes drones, cites pilots near SoFi Stadium during the World Cup

Queenie Wong — Sun, 14 Jun 2026 00:03:23 GMT

The FBI said the pilots violated the Federal Aviation Administration's temporary flight restrictions over certain stadiums hosting World Cup matches.

AI is saving office workers hours — and stealing much of that time back in 'botsitting'

Nilesh Christopher — Fri, 12 Jun 2026 10:00:00 GMT

A new survey of individuals using AI found it made them more productive, saving each roughly 11 hours per week. But at the same time, the workers on average have to spend more than six hours 'botsitting.'

Musicians shortchanged by AI deals with labels, lawsuit alleges

Wendy Lee — Mon, 8 Jun 2026 22:22:18 GMT

American Federation of Musicians alleges that Universal Music Group and Warner Music Group have not compensated musicians as part of the companies' settlement with AI companies Suno and Udio.

Apple revamps Siri as it tries to catch up in the AI race

Queenie Wong — Mon, 8 Jun 2026 19:46:16 GMT

The California smartphone maker unveiled more details about its AI strategy at its developer conference on Monday.