The Wire: Berkeley Bay Area News Roundup
Berkeley Rep Uses AI Art for Theater Marketing
Berkeley Repertory Theatre utilized AI-generated art to promote its January production of The Thing About Jellyfish. The theater stated this was an experiment "to complement — not replace — the work of our internal creative design team." This move reflects a growing trend among performing arts venues in the Bay Area turning to AI as a cost-saving measure, a development that has sparked debate in the local theater community. (SF Chronicle)
Berkeley High Custodian Publishes Children's Books
Kris Tan, a custodian at Berkeley High School, has authored two children’s books and has a third one scheduled for release soon. (Berkeley High Jacket)
Berkeley Lab Secures $125 Million for Quantum Research
Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory received $125 million in funding to support advancements in quantum research. (Daily Cal)
College Access Program Faces Funding Crisis
A UC Berkeley program assisting 1,500 students with college access is at risk after its $836,000 annual federal grant was canceled due to a reference to "equity and inclusion" in the grant application. (Berkeley News)
Security Incidents at UC Berkeley
- A man was arrested for allegedly spending hours inside a UC Berkeley sorority, watching women sleep and possibly stealing underwear. (Berkeley Scanner)
- Police apprehended a 14-year-old from Pinole suspected of stealing cars over several days in Berkeley. (Berkeley Scanner)
- A pedestrian in her 60s was hit by a driver at University and Curtis Street and was hospitalized. The incident occurred Tuesday morning.
"Berkeley Rep’s AI art experiment aims to complement, not replace, their creative design team."
Summary: Berkeley’s arts, education, and research sectors face challenges and innovations, from AI in theater marketing to funding cuts and public safety concerns.