The Wire: Local News Highlights
Berkeley Rep Uses AI Art for Theater Marketing
Berkeley Repertory Theatre employed AI-generated art to promote its January production of The Thing About Jellyfish. The theater described this approach as an experiment designed to complement, not replace, the efforts of its internal creative design team. This marks part of a growing trend among performing arts venues using AI to reduce costs, a shift that is causing debate within the Bay Area theater community.
Berkeley High Custodian Authors Children's Books
Kris Tan, a custodian at Berkeley High School, has authored two children's books and plans to release a third soon.
Significant Federal Funding for Quantum Research
Berkeley Lab secured $125 million in funding dedicated to advancing quantum research.
College Access Program Faces Funding Loss
A UC Berkeley college access program that supports 1,500 students is at risk after losing an $836,000 annual federal grant. The cancellation stemmed from a grant application that included the terms "equity and inclusion."
Local Crime Incidents
- A man suspected of spending hours inside a UC Berkeley sorority, allegedly watching women sleep and possibly stealing underwear, was arrested.
- Police apprehended a 14-year-old boy from Pinole after several days of car thefts in Berkeley.
Pedestrian Injured in Traffic Accident
A woman in her 60s was struck by a vehicle Tuesday morning at University and Curtis Street and was transported to the hospital.
"Berkeley Rep used AI art to market its January production of 'The Thing About Jellyfish,' part of an experiment to complement, not replace, the work of the internal creative design team." — SF Chronicle
"A UC Berkeley college access program serving 1,500 students is in jeopardy after an $836,000 annual federal grant was canceled over a reference to ‘equity and inclusion’ in a grant application." — Berkeley News
Summary: Berkeley's arts, education, and community face notable changes as AI technology, funding shifts, and local incidents impact the city's landscape.