Hey AI LA Community,

Everyone is behind on some vector or another when it comes to AI. Applications. Workflows. Policy. Research. It’s a bit maddening. For this newsletter, we’d like to draw your attention towards engaging with AI from the lens of digital democracy and alignment. We have two calls to actions for you today.

Governor Gavin Newsom has recently launched Engaged California which is inviting all Californians to shape state policy around AI. We encourage you to submit your thoughts on how AI is affecting you and get what’s on your chest… off. Being in the state with the most advanced AI policies in the country, we have the opportunity to make some real impact. Katie said it took 10 min and felt it was cathartic explaining the effects she sees it have in the community and local industries.

Tickets are now on sale for our 9th Annual Responsible AI Symposium where we explore “The Many Faces of Safety.” From research engineers solving for alignment to media professionals defending digital identify and parents navigating human connection in the AI era, we’re gathering to examine how we identify and build the safeguards necessary for a resilient future. We’ll have something for everyone here and go beyond the surface so you know why California is forming the policies it has.

Best,

AI LA Team

​Robots that play soccer are more than a novelty—they’re a proving ground for real-time, multi-agent Physical AI.

​In this panel, AI LA and Qualcomm bring together industry practitioners and research leaders to explore what it takes to build interactive robots that see, think, and act locally under real-world constraints. Using robot soccer as a concrete anchor, we’ll dive into:

Come out for free dinner and drinks provided by Qualcomm!

​Get hands-on with experts from Qualcomm on the core building blocks of Physical AI for robotics.

​In this workshop, participants will work through a RoboCup-inspired starter kit designed to jump‑start robot soccer development—covering perception, control, and strategic decision logic that runs entirely on-device.

​Rather than starting from scratch, you’ll leave with working baselines you can extend in a future Robo World Cup Hack Day or your own robotics projects.

​Target hardware will be provided or specified in advance, with clear abstractions so concepts transfer across robotics setups.

Workshop, refreshments and amazingness brought to you by Qualcomm!

As AI continues to automate transactional tasks and provide rapid-fire answers, the role of the leader is undergoing a fundamental shift. While machines provide data, human leaders must provide meaning. This session, serving as a launch for the new book The Leader’s PRICE: Human-Centered Leadership in the Age of AI, explores how to leverage human qualities—Purpose, Recognition, Inspiration, Compassion, and Education—as the ultimate competitive advantages. Carlos Vasquez will guide attendees through the PRICE framework, demonstrating how to lead organizations with clarity and humanity when technology is moving faster than any playbook.

​Safety isn't a single problem with a single solution. It's a spectrum — from the alignment researcher stress-testing model behavior, to the actor protecting their digital likeness, to the parent wondering what AI is teaching their kid about connection and loneliness.

​At the 9th Annual Responsible AI Symposium, we're examining The Many Faces of Safety — the idea that building a resilient AI future requires us to hold all of these perspectives at once. Across tracks in health, policy, media & entertainment, and safety research, we'll explore what it means to design systems, laws, and norms that protect people across every dimension of their lives.

Join us for this first look at Triggerware AI, a web app and desktop software that turns LLM chats from Claude into alerts for humans and agents. This event will include talks, networking, food and drink, and two hands on workshops for those who want to try Triggerware and develop an OpenClaw Agent

Workshop #1: Triggerware AI
Workshop #2: OpenClaw Agent

The world's largest conference about generative AI's impact on the film and television industry is coming to Amazon MGM Studios. Behind AI on the Lot is a group of filmmakers and entrepreneurs enormously enthusiastic about the future of media entertainment who believe AI will increase the total market size of media creation and consumption across the world. Now in its fourth year, AIOTL is attended by every major studio and is the largest physical concentration of AI media startups and first-rate artistic talent adopting AI tools. Hear from filmmakers like Paul Schrader and Roger Avary, CEOs like Yoland Yan (ComfyUI) and Prem Akkaraju (Stability, Weta) and top viral AI filmmakers like PJ Ace.

Use AILA_ROCKS to get 25% off all tickets. 
AI LA+ Members - Log In for coupon code.

Come hang with LA's gaming community

​Whether you're deep in a production pipeline or just love games, come mix with fellow developers and gamers at this free happy hour hosted by renderwolf.ai. Conversations about AI tools, asset workflows, and style consistency will probably happen. Or maybe just vibes. Either way, drinks are covered.

​Free to attend. Drinks on renderwolf.ai

AI LA is heading to the Valley! Join us at the iconic Idle Hour in North Hollywood for a Media & Entertainment Meet Up.

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.

Unpacking policy proposals is difficult when there are so many approaches and so little time to process all the new information coming out. CSET tries to level the playing field with this report which guides readers to look at the underlying assumptions common to each. By doing so we can agree on the areas of leverage and find common ground and work to build from there.

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!