House leaders discuss the promise and risks of artificial intelligence

Generative artificial intelligence is helping to fight cancer and climate change – and is also amplifying and reflecting bias and empowering criminal and ominous forces. That duality was at the center of a spirited and well-attended discussion on Capitol Hill in March, as the co-chairs of the House AI Task Force, Representatives Ted Lieu and Jay Obernolte, joined Blueprint editor Jim Newton to talk about their work and the possibilities and threats of this emerging technology.

Congressional staff, media, subject-area experts and other interested members of the public attended the event. During the discussion, the members of Congress stressed the need for federal “guardrails” to guide the development of AI, as well as the urgency for Congress to move quickly before states erect their own regulations. The launching point for the conversation was the work of the task force, which expects to produce a report on these issues this year, and the latest issue of UCLA’s Blueprint magazine , which focused on AI in its fall 2023 edition.

Related: How AI discriminates and what that means for your Google habit

UCLA Law’s Veterans Legal Clinic co-authors report on policing in veterans’ healthcare

UCLA infuses the arts into classes for Bruins and incarcerated students

The Prison Education Program, housed in the Center for Justice at UCLA, has offered educational courses inside carceral facilities for women and juveniles since 2015. These courses are primarily based on the arts and provide a shared creative learning experience that benefits inmates as well as UCLA students and faculty. On March 15, the program hosted a special event on campus to celebrate the culmination of its spoken-word course for this year. The event featured students from UCLA and the Victorville prison facility for women. Going forward, the program has been chosen as one of the first to operate out of the new UCLA Downtown building, which aims to strengthen the campus's engagement with L.A.’s diverse communities.

Drinking water in U.S. prisons may have dangerously high levels of PFAS

Almost one million incarcerated people in the U.S. may experience severe health problems due to exposure to PFAS, also known as “forever chemicals.” These chemicals can enter the environment and accumulate in living organisms, including humans, contributing to various health issues. A recent study found that nearly 47% of correctional facilities in the U.S. are located in watersheds that are likely contaminated with PFAS, and 5% are in watersheds with dangerously high levels.

Inmates often confront generally poor health, the result of conditions outside prison. What’s more, incarcerated populations already have limited access to clean drinking water and are especially vulnerable to the negative health impacts of contaminated water.

Related: Prison water may contain dangerous levels of ‘forever chemicals’ | The Hill

UCLA honors alumna Yasmin Delahoussaye with Fiat Lux Award

Recognizing progress toward health equity

Ninez Ponce, the director of the UCLA Center for Health Policy Research, has been honored for her work in promoting health equity and improving health outcomes for historically underrepresented communities. As a public health expert, Ponce's work has focused on making data collection about health issues more inclusive and representative of these communities, leading to the development of effective health programs and policies. Ponce is a co-founder of the California Health Interview Survey, which has played a vital role in democratizing data and making it accessible to the public. Her work has led to policy changes and has been cited in health care reform bills and cases across California.

Watch: UCLA Forecast - March 2024 Economic Outlook

On March 13, UCLA Anderson Forecast, in collaboration with the UCLA Center for Media, Entertainment & Sports and the UCLA School of Theatre, Film & Television, hosted "AI and the Future Business of Entertainment: To Bot or Not." The conference focused on the economic outlook and landscape of the entertainment industry.

Participants discussed a number of topics, including the often-predicted but yet-to-arrive recession, what the Federal Reserve’s next move on interest rates will be, and the impact of AI on the entertainment industry. The conference also analyzed the economic outlook for the U.S. and California up to 2026, while discussing some of the unknowns that lie ahead.

UCLA Health acquires West Hills Hospital and Medical Center

Operation Mend celebrates retiring Wounded Warrior CEO with an Army uniform-clad Honor Bear

Craving snacks? It might be food-seeking neurons, not an overactive appetite

UCLA researchers have discovered there are food-seeking cells in a part of the mouse brain that is normally associated with panic, rather than feeding. These cells, when activated, drive mice to pursue both live and non-prey food, and inspire an intense craving for fatty foods. The mice are even willing to endure foot shocks to obtain these foods, something that they would not normally do. If these findings hold true for humans, it could help us to understand and address the circuits in our brains that can override our natural hunger signals.

Related: Noshing after a meal? It may be your brain, not your appetite | KTLA-TV

UCLA South Bay’s academic focus will be sustainability, environmental justice | Daily Breeze 

Here's what's coming to UCLA's new Downtown campus | L.A. Urbanize City

UCLA study finds low weights in babies born near the 2015 Aliso Canyon gas leak  | Los Angeles Daily News

LAUSD fights homelessness | Spectrum News 1 

Gearing up for the 2025 energy tax debate  | Forbes

How AI is improving climate forecasts | Nature