Grateful for this community

January event with Cognition. Support AI LA this giving season. Save IDEAS.

December 23, 2025

Hey AI LA Community,

Grateful doesn’t quite cover it.

Thank you to the AI LA+ members, partners, board, and our NRW.Global Business guests who joined us to close out the 2025 year together. Seeing this community—builders, operators, investors, researchers, and leaders—show up with such generosity and energy is exactly why AI LA exists.

We’re also incredibly proud to share that we collected over 200 lbs of non-perishable food items for donation to the Los Angeles Food Bank. Thank you to everyone in our community who donated.

Big announcements, new flagship events, and ambitious plans are all ahead. We can’t wait to build what’s next—together.

Save IDEAS

AI LA’s IDEAS Program has transformed opportunities for underrepresented and first-generation college students throughout Los Angeles. In just two years, we’ve supported 6 cohorts and 89 alumni from more than 10 community colleges, giving them hands-on AI training, project-based learning, and mentorship that helps them enter the tech workforce with confidence.

Why We’re Fundraising Now

A long-time institutional partner shifted its giving priorities after the passing of its benefactor, leaving a critical funding gap. To continue and grow IDEAS, we’re turning to our community.

Upcoming AI Innovation Events

Codebase Understanding w/ Cognition

Wednesday, January 14th: 6:00 - 9:00 PM | Venice

​As organizations adopt AI for software engineering, many teams are discovering that model quality alone is not enough. Large-scale engineering work—migrations, refactors, testing, and modernization—breaks down when AI systems and developers lack deep, accurate understanding of the existing codebase.

In this session, Cognition will walk through their journey from early research to Devin and the Windsurf acquisition, and how a unified focus on deep codebase understanding enables reliable AI-driven engineering in large systems.

​This session is intended for CTOs, engineering leaders, and mid–senior engineers responsible for large or complex codebases who are evaluating practical approaches to AI-enabled software development.

AI, Art & Us with Dr. Maya Ackerman

Thursday, January 22nd: 6:30 - 8:30 PM | Venice

Drawing on insights from her book, "Creative Machines: AI, Art & Us," Dr. Maya Ackerman invites us to rethink the relationship between humans and machines, offering a path forward that uses AI not to overshadow us, but to elevate human imagination and expression. Practical dimensions of the current threats and opportunities will be discussed.

Partner Event
AlphaPersuade Summit

Thursday, March 26th: 10:00 AM - 5:00 PM | Irvine

Building on the innovative gathering of the first AlphaPersuade Summit, Beall Applied Innovation and the RhetAI Coalition invite you to connect with experts from across industry, academia, government, and not-for-profits who are working together to address AIs increasingly nuanced ability to persuade human behavior. In an intimate setting that provides opportunity to interact with top-in-class AI professionals, you will have opportunity to discuss with our researchers the results of the RhetAI/CHT research challenges, review our Annual Report, and find partners to develop solutions that ensures a ethically-persuasive generative artificial intelligence.

Special Holiday Discount Code for Full Day Pass! AILA2026

Free Happy Hours and Meetups

More coming soon!

Join AI LA+ and save $400+ on events

Attend just 6 events per year and the membership pays for itself. Plus free workshops, mixers and exclusive content will be yours!

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!