Tech giants ramp up virtual assistants with generative AI
Amazon's voice assistant Alexa is reportedly getting an AI upgrade. The company plans to launch a more conversational version of Alexa later this year using generative AI but Amazon also reportedly plans to charge customers a monthly subscription fee for the upgrade. The move is part of an effort to compete with some of the new AI powered chat bots hitting the market by OpenAI and Google. KTVU's Alex Savidge discusses the value of AI upgrades with Pete Nicoletti from cybersecurity software company, Check Point.
Lung cancer prevalence among Asian Americans
Asian Americans have become the first racial ethnic group in the U.S. for whom cancer is the leading cause of death, but they are also the least likely group to be screened. Lung cancer, is of particular concern. Studies show lung cancer rates among non-smoking Asian American men and women are on the rise, increasing 2% each year. KTVU's Greg Lee discusses the ongoing health issue and potential solutions with Kaiser Permanente Oakland Medical Center Thoracic Surgeon Dr. Jeff Velotta.
Bay Area heading out for Memorial Day weekend
Nationwide, AAA estimates nearly 44 million people will travel 50 miles or more for Memorial Day weekend. That's a 5% jump compared to last year. KTVU's Alex Savidge and Greg Lee discuss the staggering travel numbers with AAA spokesperson John Treanor ahead of the summer season.
Daily marijuana use surpasses daily drinking in US, study finds
For the first time, more Americans use marijuana daily or nearly every day than those who drink alcohol that frequently, a shift 40 years in the making as recreational pot use has become mainstream and legal in nearly half of U.S. states.
Managing mental health for older adults
KTVU's Alex Savidge is joined by Dr. Alicia English, Licensed Clinical Psychologist with the Center for Elders' Independence for more on the unique mental health challenges adults over 60 face and the best strategies to support anyone in your life who may be struggling with mental health issues.
AAPI Heritage and Pride Month intersect with QTAPI Week
As AAPI Heritage Month wraps up and Pride Month begins, this week is an intersection of the two. It is known as Queer and Transgender Asian Pacific Islander Week, or QTAPI Week. In 2021, San Francisco became the first city in the country to officially celebrate the week with a resolution passed by city supervisors. It designates the week as a time of celebration and recognition. KTVU's Claudine Wong is joined by Nguyen Pham, President of San Francisco Pride for more on what the week means to both the queer and AAPI communities.
Honoring Harvey Milk's legacy in 2024
KTVU's Alex Savidge and Claudine Wong are joined by Edward Wright, President Emeritus of the Harvey Milk LGBTQ Democratic Club to discuss the significance of Harvey Milk Day and impact his life still has on the queer community, decades after his death.
Free summer concert series returns to San Francisco
Next month, The Summer of Music free concert series returns to San Francisco for its second year. The event is organized by the non-profit Civic Joy Fund and music promoter Noise Pop Industries. This summer, hundreds of live performances will happen on street corners and inside businesses and stores across various neighborhoods. Right now, organizers are still accepting applications from local musicians and businesses that want to take part. KTVU's Alex Savidge is joined by Manny Yekutiel, Executive Director of the Civic Joy Fund and Michelle Swing, CEO of Noise Pop Industries for more on this year's plans.
San Francisco Public Library hosts genealogical history conference
This week, the San Francisco Public Library is hosting its first free Genealogical and Family History Conferenced aimed at giving people the tools to discover where they came from and who they are related to. KTVU's Heather Holmes is joined by Daniel Matsumoto, Electronic Resources Specialist at the San Francisco Public Library for more on the special event.
OpenAI suspends release of controversial virtual assistant
San Francisco-based OpenAI has suspended the released of one of the voice options for its new virtual assistant because it sounds strikingly similar to actress Scarlett Johansson. Johansson played the voice of an AI virtual assistant in the 2013 film "Her" and said in a statement that the voice sounds "eerily similar to mine". OpenAI says the voice was done by a different professional actor, although the company did first ask Johansson to license her voice for the virtual assistant. KTVU's Heather Holmes and Alex Savidge are joined by J.D. Harriman, attorney specializing in intellectual property issues with the Foundation Law Group for more on the legal questions raised by the situation.
FCI Dublin: BOP faces trial over abuse of women at now-shuttered California prison
The federal Bureau of Prisons will go to trial next year over claims it allowed an environment where guards at a now-shuttered California prison sexually abused incarcerated women, a judge ordered Wednesday.
'Grumpy' baby photoshoot goes viral: 'He is NOT having it'
This "grumpy" baby gave some priceless expressions in a recently-shared newborn photoshoot taken in Cincinnati, Ohio.
Tahoe ski season closes Memorial Day weekend
With spring well underway, Tahoe skiers and snowboarders this Memorial Day weekend have a chance to hit the slopes for the last time this season.
California median home price hit record high
The median home price hit an all-time high in California, with the Bay Area showing the biggest price jump across the state, according to new figures.
Competitive eater Takeru Kobayashi retires, shares health concerns
Takeru Kobayashi’s 20-year competitive eating career, which includes six Nathan's Hot Dog Eating championships, has come to an end as he deals with body damage concerns.
Matthew Perry death: LAPD investigating how 'Friends' star obtained ketamine
Local and federal authorities Tuesday were investigating how "Friends" actor Matthew Perry obtained the prescription drug ketamine, which contributed to his death in October.
FCI Dublin 'special master' authorized to ensure women cared for at other prisons: judge
The special master appointed to oversee that reforms were made at the now-shuttered Federal Correctional Institute at Dublin also has the authority to ensure that the women who were once incarcerated there receive the proper care at their new prisons across the country, a federal judge ruled.
Glamor Beauty Supply in Oakland set to close after nearly 40 years
Glamor Beauty Supply in Oakland, one of the East Bay's oldest shops of its kind, is closing just as soon as all the shampoo, color and hair products are gone.
West Coast Wrap: May 20, 2024
Several wildfires are burning across the West. One has grown to more than 14,000 acres. We'll show you how crews in three states are working to get the upper hand on the flames.
Exhibit spotlights toll of Ukraine war on children
Two years after the start of Russia's invasion of Ukraine, we are seeing the toll the conflict continues to have on the children caught in the violence. Dozens of colorful drawings and paintings are on display right now at San Jose State University. The Dr. Martin Luther King Junior Library is home to artworks created by children displayed by the war in Ukraine in a new exhibit called "Children Draw War, Not Flowers." KTVU's Heather Holmes discusses the artwork with Dr. Ulia Gosart, organizer of the exhibit and Assistant Professor at San Jose State University's School of Information.