This Month's Latest Tech News in Bakersfield, CA - Wednesday April 30th 2025 Edition

AI regulation has become a defining trend for Bakersfield and the broader U.S. tech ecosystem in May 2025, with at least 45 states introducing over 550 AI-related bills that address everything from rental housing algorithms to deepfake disclosures and healthcare oversight.

California stands out with new laws mandating transparency over AI-generated content and training data, while consumer protections and ethical AI use remain core priorities across pending legislation nationwide.

The shift away from comprehensive federal AI regulation under the new administration has propelled states like Colorado and California to lead with detailed, sector-specific laws, a change likely to impact Bakersfield's employers, startups, and public agencies as they balance innovation with compliance.

A recent study from Gies College of Business emphasizes that while regulation reduces firm risk and reassures investors, excessive or fragmented rules risk stifling innovation - a challenge mirrored in California's evolving privacy and healthcare requirements.

As summarized by the National Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL), common legislative themes include transparency, bias prevention, and protection in sensitive areas such as employment, education, and algorithms affecting housing.

Businesses in Bakersfield can expect compliance obligations to grow as states fill the federal gap, underscoring the need to monitor both local and national trends; as noted by Software Improvement Group, staying ahead requires vigilance and adaptability, especially as non-compliance can lead to penalties such as multimillion-dollar fines.

For a clear perspective:

“Regulate, but go with a lot of empirical evidence ... there is a high risk that over-regulation can prevent AI from realizing its innovation potential.”

Visa has unveiled its groundbreaking Intelligent Commerce platform, marking a major leap toward autonomous shopping through AI-powered agents. These AI agents, developed in partnership with leading firms like OpenAI, Anthropic, Microsoft, and Perplexity, are designed to streamline every phase of the shopping journey - from finding and comparing products to finalizing secure payments, all within user-defined spending parameters and preferences.

Unlike traditional chatbots, these agents operate with heightened autonomy, proactively handling complex tasks such as vacation bookings or grocery runs, while consumers retain final approval over transactions.

At the heart of this initiative is a new generation of AI-ready credit cards featuring tokenized digital credentials, ensuring both security and convenience.

Visa's Intelligent Commerce deploys five integrated modules - including authentication, tokenization, and real-time risk monitoring - supported by cutting-edge fraud prevention models that blocked $40 billion in fraud last year.

The approach was summarized by Visa's chief product and strategy officer, Jack Forestell, who noted,

“We think this could be really important… Transformational, on the order of magnitude of the advent of e-commerce itself.”

With pilot programs launching now and mainstream adoption anticipated next year, Visa's vision extends globally, aiming to democratize digital commerce and bolster both consumer and merchant trust.

For a deep dive on the technology and market context, see how AI is reshaping retail in 2025 and Visa's detailed Intelligent Commerce announcement.

The anticipated impact includes faster, more personalized shopping while raising important conversations around privacy, workforce adaptation, and ethical AI deployment.

This month, server hardware innovation takes center stage with Alpha and Omega Semiconductor's debut of the AOTL66935, a next-generation MOSFET purpose-built for 48V hot swap in AI server environments.

Employing proprietary 100V AlphaSGT™ trench technology, this new device can deliver up to 360A continuous drain current while shrinking the server's component footprint by 30% compared to industry-standard TO-263 packages.

Key benefits include ultra-low on-resistance (RDS(on)), high safe operating area (SOA), and robust reliability to meet the extreme demands of contemporary AI workloads.

As Peter H. Wilson, Sr. Director at AOS, put it:

“48V hot swap in AI servers requires a MOSFET that excels in high current capability while providing exceptional SOA robustness with high reliability. We designed the AOTL66935 to meet these demands, and the low on-resistance reduces the power losses and can enable less devices in parallel.”

Available immediately at $4.20 per unit for volume orders, the AOTL66935 is part of a wave of MOSFET technology that is transforming server efficiency, thermal management, and form factor for Bakersfield data centers.

For comparison, other leading solutions in this segment, such as ROHM's 80V and 30V MOSFETs, WeEn's 600V super junction MOSFET, and Alpha and Omega's Mega IPM-7 modules, are also pushing boundaries in current handling, minimized losses, and ruggedness - highlighted in the Alpha and Omega Semiconductor 2025 APEC showcase and WeEn Semiconductor's PCIM 2025 exhibit.

The technical comparison below underscores these advances:

Device	VDS	Package	Max Current	RDS(ON) Max
AOTL66935 (Alpha and Omega Semiconductor)	100V	TOLL	360A	1.95 mΩ @ 25°C
RS7N200BH (ROHM Semiconductor)	80V	DFN5060-8S	>10A	1.7 mΩ
WSJ2M60R065DTL (WeEn Semiconductor)	~700V	TOLL	50A	65 mΩ

For Bakersfield tech leaders, these electronics breakthroughs from global players like Alpha and Omega signal a continued surge in AI processing potential and energy-efficient infrastructure - positioning the region's digital sector for future growth.

Explore further details on the Alpha and Omega Semiconductor AOTL66935 product launch and its industry impact.

Barclays' latest Equity Gilt Study forecasts that artificial intelligence will redefine global supply chains and labor markets, ushering in a new era of economic transformation that is sure to impact regions like Bakersfield.

AI's acceleration of supply chain changes is driven by its ability to increase traceability, reduce logistics costs by 15%, and improve service levels by 65%, according to Sanofi's supply chain analytics and AI impact.

However, Barclays cautions that reliance on a few nations for rare earths and tech talent may expose supply chains to strategic vulnerabilities amid global uncertainties.

Ajay Rajadhyaksha, Barclays' Global Chairman of Research, notes,

“AI is already changing many aspects of the modern economy and financial markets and will continue to do so for years to come. The end result promises to be fascinating – and most likely a net positive for the world at large.”

Beyond these operational shifts, AI's integration is expected to drive substantial infrastructure investment, increase US data center electricity demand up to threefold by 2030, and reshape white-collar roles.

As shown below, the projected operational benefits of AI-driven supply chains are compelling:

Benefit	Estimated Impact
Logistics Cost Reduction	15%
Inventory Level Decrease	35%
Service Level Improvement	65%

For Bakersfield's local businesses, AI's effect on talent, operational resilience, and infrastructure will shape their competitive edge in a changing global marketplace.

Dive deeper into Barclays' findings and the broader industry perspective at Business Wire's detailed coverage of Barclays AI research and the GuruFocus summary of global supply chain AI impacts.

TELUS Digital and Zendesk have launched a strategic partnership to scale AI-powered customer service globally, blending TELUS Digital's 78,000-member workforce and generative AI platform Fuel iX™ with Zendesk's extensible CRM and call center-as-a-service (CCaaS) technologies.

This collaboration enables enterprise and mid-market clients to benefit from real-time agent assistance, in-conversation response suggestions, and deep insights into customer sentiment, all aimed at accelerating support resolution and optimizing agent performance.

A standout result from early deployments includes a 25% reduction in average handle time for an enterprise client within just two weeks, underscoring the operational impact of integrated AI support.

As highlighted by Zendesk CTO Adrian McDermott,

"This partnership unites Zendesk's AI-powered service and CCaaS platform with TELUS Digital's global talent delivery and generative AI capabilities to meet the needs of modern, large-scale customer service environments. Together, we empower organizations to implement and scale smarter, more connected customer experience strategies."

Fuel iX™ is now available in the Zendesk marketplace, giving customers unprecedented flexibility and efficiency, while TELUS Digital acts as a full-service implementation partner, ensuring seamless onboarding, configuration, and ongoing optimization.

To explore the technical and strategic details of this global initiative, visit the official TELUS Digital announcement of the strategic partnership with Zendesk, see coverage on Nasdaq's article about enhancing AI-powered customer experience, or read industry analysis at MarTech360's analysis on TELUS Digital's expanded customer experience capabilities.

Nvidia's recent announcement that it will take a $5.5 billion quarterly charge in response to new U.S. government restrictions on exporting its H20 AI chips to China has sent shockwaves across the global tech sector, highlighting the intensifying semiconductor trade war.

The sweeping export controls - part of the “AI Diffusion Rule” - require indefinite licensing for sales to China, a key market that generated $12–$15 billion in H20 revenue in 2024 but now faces looming losses to local competitors like Huawei.

Industry analysts warn these restrictions could cost Nvidia as much as $18 billion in annual revenue and force Chinese customers to switch to domestic chipmakers, while supply chain disruptions ripple through major U.S. rivals such as AMD and Broadcom, whose stocks fell sharply in the wake of Nvidia's disclosure.

Nvidia has publicly pushed back against stricter policies, with a spokesperson remarking,

“American firms should focus on innovation and rise to the challenge, rather than tell tall tales that large, heavy, and sensitive electronics are somehow smuggled in ‘baby bumps' or ‘alongside live lobsters.'”

The company is simultaneously accelerating domestic investments, commissioning over one million square feet of new U.S. facilities for next-generation AI chip production.

For a concise overview of the financial and strategic implications, see the summary table below:

Event	Value/Detail
Financial Charge (Q1 2025)	$5.5 Billion
Potential Revenue Loss (Annual)	$14–$18 Billion
China Revenue Decline	50% below pre-export control levels

With the Biden and Trump administrations signaling continued regulatory uncertainty, the restrictions not only threaten Nvidia's access to its fourth-largest sales region but also accelerate the global semiconductor supply chain realignment.

For further insights, review coverage by The New York Times on export policy impacts, TrendForce's analysis of Nvidia's revenue risks, and CNBC's reporting on the financial fallout and industry response.

Meta has officially resumed training its AI models using public content and AI chat interactions from adults across Facebook and Instagram in the European Union, following nearly a year-long regulatory pause.

This major move, greenlit by the European Data Protection Board, aims to tailor generative AI to better understand Europe's unique cultures, languages, and histories.

Meta's approach, now aligned with similar practices from Google and OpenAI, not only underscores a growing industry trend but also reignites Europe's ongoing privacy debate.

EU users will receive in-app and email notifications detailing the data being collected and have the opportunity to opt out through an objection form. Private messages and data from individuals under 18 are strictly excluded from AI training, affirming Meta's stated commitment to privacy protections.

The company acknowledges ongoing regulatory scrutiny and criticism from privacy advocates like NOYB, whose founder Max Schrems argues,

“Meta is clearly trying to get away with using European data without proper consent... The burden is entirely on users to object, and the process is designed to make that hard.”

Despite legal assurances and improved transparency, challenges regarding the opt-out process and broad reuse of historic posts remain.

Below is a summary table outlining Meta's new AI training policy in the EU:

Data Used for AI Training	Excluded from Training	User Control
Adult public posts, comments, Meta AI interactions	Private messages, content from users under 18	In-app/email notice, opt-out form honored

Explore further analysis on this topic from Meta's official announcement, detailed industry perspective on The Hacker News, and a privacy-focused critique on Bitdefender's security blog.

A landmark legal case is unfolding as conservative activist Robby Starbuck has filed a defamation lawsuit against Meta in Delaware Superior Court, claiming its AI chatbot repeatedly generated and circulated false and damaging statements about him - including fabricated allegations of participating in the January 6 Capitol riot, Holocaust denial, and affiliation with extremist groups such as QAnon.

Not only did Starbuck deny all accusations, but he also provided evidence that he was in Tennessee on the day of the riot, and no factual sources for the chatbot's claims have surfaced.

Starbuck seeks over $5 million in damages, citing both reputational harm and threats to his personal safety and professional opportunities. The situation raises important questions about the applicability of Section 230 protections to AI-generated content, especially as Meta's chatbot, powered by its Llama AI model, continues to face scrutiny for passing along misinformation months after initial complaints.

As Starbuck put it,

“We cannot allow one of the largest and most powerful companies in human history to make defamation a core feature of its business model.”

Meta has responded by updating its AI and has limited responses regarding Starbuck, but the legal and regulatory implications remain unresolved amid a broader industry debate about accountability for AI “hallucinations.” For a full breakdown of the accusations, timeline, and statements from both parties, see this detailed coverage on the New York Post's report on Starbuck v. Meta.

Eugene Volokh's analysis at The Volokh Conspiracy explores the lawsuit's implications for AI liability, while Fox Business highlights Meta's apology and ongoing efforts to prevent future misinformation.

FPT Corporation continues to make waves globally, having been named a Notable Provider in Forrester's Digital Transformation Services Landscape, Q2 2025 report, which highlighted its strategy-aligned transformation journeys and tech modernization initiatives, particularly in North America and Asia-Pacific.

FPT's strengths lie in its robust AI capabilities, cloud computing, and business process management, enhanced by strategic partnerships with leading technology firms such as Amazon Web Services, Microsoft, and Google Cloud.

Its proprietary DX Garage framework and investments in initiatives like the FPT AI Factory in partnership with NVIDIA further reinforce its innovation leadership.

As summarized by Frank Bignone, Vice President and Director of Digital Transformation Division at FPT:

“FPT's deep industry knowledge, combined with its next-gen capabilities, empowers our clients to stay ahead of the curve in an ever-evolving digital landscape. By blending a customer-first approach with an agile, scalable framework, we ensure that businesses can manage the risks of transformation while driving sustainable growth.”

For enterprise customers, FPT's recognition spans not only digital transformation but also IoT and cloud services, as noted in recent Forrester Wave™ reports on Cloud Migration and IoT Consultancies.

The company serves a broad array of industries across more than 54,000 employees and $2.47 billion in 2024 revenues, underlining its commitment to delivering world-class, AI-powered transformation services on a global scale.

For a deeper dive into FPT's strategic direction and recognitions, visit the official IoT consultancy report summary page.

Vanta is setting a new benchmark in AI security and compliance with the launch of its AI Security Assessment, now available to organizations worldwide. This tool offers a standardized approach to evaluating AI-related risks, tailored with tiered questionnaires for organizations using AI, building with AI-powered products, or developing AI models, and aligns with leading frameworks such as the NIST AI RMF, EU AI Act, and ISO 42001 learn more about Vanta's AI Security Assessment features.

Vanta is the first trust management platform to achieve ISO 42001 certification - affirming its commitment to responsible AI practices and industry-leading transparency.

According to Vanta's State of Trust report, 62% of organizations plan to invest more in AI security in 2025, yet only 36% have, or are implementing, company-wide AI policies.

The AI Security Assessment covers ten critical categories, including governance, data privacy, bias, and human oversight, and enables organizations to publicly demonstrate their AI security posture and streamline compliance with automated tools.

As Jeremy Epling, Vanta's Chief Product Officer, explains,

“With Vanta's AI Security Assessment, we're giving companies a practical, scalable way to assess AI-related risk, demonstrate their AI posture, and build trust in a rapidly changing landscape. Earning our ISO 42001 certification reinforces that commitment, setting the standard not just for our customers, but for ourselves and the industry as a whole.”

For a quick comparison of adoption trends, see the table:

Planned AI Security Investment (2025)	Organizations with AI Policy	ISO 42001 Certified Platforms
62%	36%	Vanta (first and only)

Vanta will showcase the AI Security Assessment and its latest platform features at the RSA Conference in San Francisco, April 28 – May 1, 2025 see official announcement.

For more insights on this industry-leading solution, visit Vanta's Trust Center or explore details on responsible AI certification at their resources page read about Vanta's certified trust management platform.

AppOmni has launched the industry's first SaaS Security Model Context Protocol (MCP) server, marking a significant leap for agentic AI-driven cybersecurity in SaaS environments.

Designed to integrate with major security platforms such as SIEM, XDR, IAM, and SOAR, the MCP server allows AI agents like AskOmni to deliver real-time, actionable insights on SaaS identities, configurations, data exposures, and user behaviors - effectively transforming integrated security tools into SaaS security experts overnight.

As enterprises juggle dozens of specialized tools and hundreds of SaaS apps, this unified approach enables holistic risk visibility and simplifies security operations for faster, more targeted remediation.

“Integration of security tools is not just beneficial, it's imperative for achieving holistic visibility and coordinated security decisions. The proper way to get the full benefit of integration is to go beyond ineffective data sharing to get investigative insights by integrating business logic,”

explained Melissa Ruzzi, Director of AI at AppOmni.

The MCP server also helps organizations address the growing threats from SaaS misconfigurations and insider misuse by contextualizing raw data into meaningful investigative findings.

Rik Turner, Senior Principal Analyst at Omdia, noted,

“AskOmni leverages analytics, AI, and SaaS security expertise to analyze vast amounts of security data, uncover hidden risks, and give actionable recommendations.”

This innovation is now available to AppOmni customers and is expected to benefit cloud security and SecOps teams across sectors.

For more, see the official AppOmni press release on the world's first SaaS Security MCP server, a practical rundown on AppOmni's MCP server for SaaS app protection, and expert analysis at Enterprise Security Tech's coverage of AskOmni as a SaaS security powerhouse.

As Bakersfield navigates rapid shifts in AI and tech, the latest wave of innovation and regulation offers both opportunity and challenge. California's bold rollout of GenAI in state operations is setting the pace, from using AI to reduce highway congestion and streamline tax call centers, to pioneering digital democracy platforms that promise new levels of public engagement and efficiency (Governor Newsom's GenAI deployment announcement).

Legislatively, the passage of the federal “Take It Down Act” marks a rare bipartisan moment protecting individuals from nonconsensual AI-generated content, signaling a new seriousness in addressing AI risks and digital privacy at the national level; as Rep.

Gus Bilirakis observed,

“We must continue working hand in hand with our law enforcement partners to stay ahead of these emerging threats.”

(Read more about new AI legislation).

Meanwhile, the surge in sophisticated AI cybercrime attacking Bakersfield's businesses underlines the urgent need for next-level training - voice cloning scams and adaptive malware have already inflicted losses well into six figures locally (How AI-driven threats are impacting Bakersfield).

Proactive upskilling is now imperative; Nucamp offers a range of bootcamps from Cybersecurity Fundamentals (15 weeks, $2,124 early bird) to Front End and Full Stack Web + Mobile Development (17–22 weeks, scholarships available), all designed to prepare locals for tomorrow's workforce.

See concise program details below:

Bootcamp	Length	Main Courses	Early Bird Tuition	Registration
Cybersecurity Fundamentals	15 weeks	Foundations, Network Defense, Ethical Hacking	$2,124	Enroll in Cybersecurity Fundamentals
Web Dev Fundamentals	4 weeks	HTML, CSS, Bootstrap	$458	Enroll in Web Dev Fundamentals
Full Stack Web + Mobile	22 weeks	JS, React, NodeJS, Express, MongoDB	$2,604	Enroll in Full Stack Web + Mobile

With flexible financing and scholarships for high school grads, tribal members, women in tech, and more, Bakersfield's tech community is well positioned to turn today's challenges into tomorrow's opportunities.