Hey AI LA Community,

Our quarterly policy forum on April 16th is coming right when things at the national level are getting spicy. Senator Blackburn's TRUMP AMERICA AI Act dropped March 18th, California has 20+ AI bills in session, and the fight over who gets to regulate AI — the federal government or the states — is happening right now.

It all feels like a lot right now. The best thing we can do for ourselves tho is to stay informed and find some joy in our corner of the universe. Have you seen the monarchs and caterpillars around LA this week?

Artificial intelligence is reshaping how we understand and respond to climate challenges—from satellite imagery analysis that tracks environmental change in real time, to predictive models that optimize energy systems, to tools that help organizations measure and reduce their carbon footprint. This panel brings together practitioners deploying AI across climate applications to discuss what's actually working, where the technology shows the most promise, and what the limitations are. Expect an honest conversation about AI's role in California's climate future: the breakthroughs, the hype, and the hard technical problems still to solve.

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Join AILA’s 7th Earth Summit, to examine the technologies, policies, and ideas shaping our climate future. From artificial intelligence to breakthrough materials science, from state climate policy to investment strategies— explore the full spectrum of how we adapt to our changing planet.

​Can we innovate our way to a sustainable future? Earth Summit brings real data and diverse perspectives about how California addresses climate challenges through policy and technology. What are the actual costs and benefits? Where are the greatest opportunities?

​Each quarter, AI LA will convene technologists, builders, and policy-curious professionals for a timely, grounded discussion on AI legislation—what’s passed, what’s coming, and what it actually means in practice. With a primary focus on California and clear line-of-sight to federal positioning, this forum is designed to move beyond headlines and political theater to unpack real consequences: how new laws shape product development, reporting obligations, corporate behavior, and public infrastructure initiatives like CalCompute.

Over the past year, tools like Claude Code have become incredibly popular for AI-assisted software development. These systems allow people to work with AI directly inside their projects—reading files, editing code, running commands, and helping build applications step by step.​​

This workshop introduces participants to this new wave of AI coding agents and shows how they can be used to build real applications faster. Led by Tejas Rajurkar, the session will walk through practical setup, demonstrate a live build using Codex, and give participants time to experiment with the tools themselves.

Composer, Emmy Award Winner and Venture Capitalist, Lucas Cantor Santiago, will discuss the ideas featured in his new book, Unfinished: The Role of the Artist in the age of AI. Come enjoy a discussion about the meaning and purpose of art and technology.

For those interested in buying Lucas’s book, you may find it on Amazon and elsewhere.

Are you building something big and wondering if Europe is your next market? Join NRW.Global Business - the official economic development agency of North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany - for an exclusive transatlantic networking luncheon during Arizona Tech Week.

Connect with fellow founders, investors, and tech leaders, and learn how to access one of Europe's largest innovation hubs: 18,000+ tech companies, world-class AI infrastructure, and a direct gateway to the EU's 450M consumer market.

Join us for an exciting night of networking with founders, investors, and community leaders shaping the future of West Hollywood and beyond. Enjoy a live DJ and open bar with wine, beer, spritzers, and sodas in a great atmosphere.

Sponsored by J.P. Morgan, Gaingels, and Holland & Knight, with support from the West Hollywood Chamber of Commerce.

AI LA+ Members get 50%. Log into the portal to get your discount code

Join us for an AI Policy Mixer at a new location in Chinatown at the Highland Park Brewery! This event brings together professionals and enthusiasts from AI, policy, and technology to exchange ideas and explore emerging trends. Whether you’re a policymaker, technologist, researcher, or simply curious about the future of AI, all are welcome to join the conversation.

​Join us for a casual evening AI meetup in the heart of Pasadena! This friendly get-together is the perfect opportunity for GenAI enthusiasts, hobbyists, experts, and newcomers alike to connect, share insights, and learn from each other in an informal setting.

Calling all aerospace professionals, space dreamers, and anyone fascinated by flight! Join us at Rock & Brews in El Segundo for a relaxed evening of lively conversation about everything that soars—within Earth’s atmosphere and far beyond.

​Whether you’re designing the next aircraft or captivated by deep-space exploration, this meetup is for you.

With Earth Summit around the corner, I found this chat very insightful to help ground me in the perceived benefits of AI development. Our panelists at the Summit are doing good work with AI to help mitigate the effects of climate change. Frontier labs would have us dreaming that the costs of rapid deployment is worth it.

Not a member yet? Join our community to unlock this offer and gain access to a full year of events, networking, and opportunities.

These incredible events are made possible thanks to our AI LA+ members, whose support has fueled our growth. Want to help shape the future of AI LA while enjoying exclusive perks? Consider joining AI LA+ and growing with us!