Hey AI LA Community,

Welcome to 2026! The team at AI LA is heads down in planning for the upcoming year. We are working on an enhanced membership experience, will deliver our same high quality programming with a side of strategic focus, will offer deeper dives into responsible AI and policy, and support a community our partners can’t resist giving back to. We are excited for the months ahead.

In the meantime, the Cognition event is right around the corner for the technical peeps and Dr. Maya Ackerman is going to treat skeptics and the aspirational to a balanced AI diet for lovers of creativity.

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.

Free Happy Hours and Meetups

ComfyUI Meetup

Tuesday, January 20th: 6:00 - 9:00 PM | Venice

Connect with fellow enthusiasts and dive deeper into the creators, models, and startups building on top of ComfyUI.

​ComfyUI is a node-based graphical user interface (GUI) designed to enable more control when generating images and videos from text prompts across models.

AI Policy Meetup

Wednesday, January 28th: 6:00 - 8:00 PM | MidCity

Join us for an AI Policy Mixer in the heart of Miracle Mile! 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.

GenAI Happy Hour

Monday, February 9th: 5:00 - 7:00 PM | Pasadena

​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.

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!