Wisconsin bred / Middlebury '21 / formerly DC transplant and Federal Reserve Board / currently Stanford master's journalism '25
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Articles by Hannah Bensen
Joint Venture survey shows optimism has ‘fizzled’ in Silicon Valley
An aerial view of Meta headquarters in Menlo Park on Aug. 30, 2026. Photo by Seeger Gray. The Silicon Valley dream is looking less convincing to Bay Area residents. For 53% of respondents, hard work alone is insufficient to get ahead and build a good life in the area, according to a survey of 1,801 Bay Area residents conducted by Joint Venture Silicon Valley, a regional think tank, and Bay Area News Group which assessed respondents’ economic, social and political views.
Joint Venture survey shows optimism has ‘fizzled’ in Silicon Valley
An aerial view of Meta headquarters in Menlo Park on Aug. 30, 2026. Photo by Seeger Gray. The Silicon Valley dream is looking less convincing to Bay Area residents. For 53% of respondents, hard work alone is insufficient to get ahead and build a good life in the area, according to a survey of 1,801 Bay Area residents conducted by Joint Venture Silicon Valley, a regional think tank, and Bay Area News Group which assessed respondents’ economic, social and political views.
What does it cost to run for local public office?
A voter fills out their ballot at the Palo Alto Art Center in Palo Alto on Nov. 3, 2020. Photo by Magali Gauthier. at the Palo Alto Art Center in Palo Alto on Nov. 3, 2020. Photo by Magali Gauthier. During her 2024 campaign for Palo Alto City Council, then-candidate Katie Causey knocked on 15,000 doors, raised $53,000 in contributions and woke up at 5 a.m. some days to pick up advertising materials from San Francisco before heading to work. Her bid in the four-seat council race fell short in the end.
What does it cost to run for local public office?
A voter fills out their ballot at the Palo Alto Art Center in Palo Alto on Nov. 3, 2020. Photo by Magali Gauthier. at the Palo Alto Art Center in Palo Alto on Nov. 3, 2020. Photo by Magali Gauthier. During her 2024 campaign for Palo Alto City Council, then-candidate Katie Causey knocked on 15,000 doors, raised $53,000 in contributions and woke up at 5 a.m. some days to pick up advertising materials from San Francisco before heading to work. Her bid in the four-seat council race fell short in the end.
Chatbot platform Character.AI files for bankruptcy
Chatbot intelligence AI. Courtesy Getty. Character Technologies, the company behind the chatbot platform Character.AI, announced on Monday it has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy. Character.AI – which lists its headquarters in Menlo Park and has an office in Redwood City – allows users to chat with customizable fictional and real characters, and is popular among anime, gaming and fanfiction communities that enjoy digital companionship. Its core audience is young people under the age of 24.
The Food Closet grapples with growing needs
Bare shelves at The Food Closet at 425 Hamilton Ave. in Palo Alto on the morning of Oct. 7, 2026. Photo courtesy Charlotte Coker. The Food Closet, a Palo Alto-based pantry, can only give what it has, and lately demand for food supplies has increased. In September, Food Closet supervising manager Charlotte Coker said she added 35 new clients and served 754 people – a 10% increase in the number of people from last year.
Karl Deisseroth, Stanford’s ‘renaissance man,’ celebrates Nobel Prize
Karl Deisseroth poses for a portrait at Deisseroth’s CNC Lab at Stanford University School of Medicine on Tuesday, Aug. 10, 2021, in Palo Alto, Calif. Photo by Jim Gensheimer. The notification of Stanford University professor Karl Deisseroth’s Nobel Prize came after midnight, but it didn’t disrupt sandwich prep for his children on Monday morning.
Stanford researcher Karl Deisseroth wins 2026 Nobel Prize in medicine or physiology
Karl Deisseroth poses for a portrait at Deisseroth’s CNC Lab at Stanford University School of Medicine on Tuesday, Aug. 10, 2021, in Palo Alto, Calif. Photo by Jim Gensheimer. The notification of Stanford University professor Karl Deisseroth’s Nobel Prize came after midnight, but it didn’t disrupt sandwich prep for his children on Monday morning.
Karl Deisseroth, Stanford’s ‘renaissance man,’ celebrates Nobel Prize
Karl Deisseroth poses for a portrait at Deisseroth’s CNC Lab at Stanford University School of Medicine on Tuesday, Aug. 10, 2021, in Palo Alto, Calif. Photo by Jim Gensheimer. The notification of Stanford University professor Karl Deisseroth’s Nobel Prize came after midnight, but it didn’t disrupt sandwich prep for his children on Monday morning.
Willow Road high-rise developer N17 files lawsuit against Menlo Park Original
Cyclists bike past 80 Willow Road on the former Sunset Magazine campus in Menlo Park on Sept. 30, 2026. Photo by Seeger Gray. The legal showdown that Menlo Park officials warned of has swiftly come to fruition. N17, the developer behind the 80 Willow Road high-rise development, filed a lawsuit against the city on Friday, Oct. 2. The lawsuit alleges that Menlo Park moved the goalposts for approval and delayed its review of the mixed-use development.
Menlo Park rejects state accusations, says it followed law in handling of Willow Road high-rise project Original
Menlo Park issues lengthy defense in showdown with state AG’s office An aerial view of the former Sunset Magazine campus at 80 Willow Road in Menlo Park on Sept. 30, 2026. Photo by Seeger Gray. In the latest sign of a possible legal showdown, Menlo Park forcefully rejected the state Attorney General’s July 29 allegations that the city violated state housing law in processing the application for a controversial high-rise development at 80 Willow Road, according to an Oct. 1 letter.
Recruiter for Mountain View company sued over alleged discrimination against American worker
The Mountain View Civic Center Plaza. Photo by Natalia Nazarova. The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission is suing a recruiting agency for not referring an American applicant to a position at a Mountain View company and suggesting that only non-Americans need apply. The defendant in the case is Sibitalent Corps., a Texas-based employment agency that specializes in recruiting information technology staff.
Menlo Park rejects state’s demand to approve Sunset magazine high-rise as a new property buyer emerges Original
California Attorney General Rob Bonta accused the city of Menlo Park of violating state law by delaying a development at 80 Willow Road. Rendering courtesy N17. The Menlo Park City Council is ready to fight the state to prevent a high-rise development on the former Sunset magazine campus, even if it means cutting local services to fund the effort, Mayor Betsy Nash announced on Sept. 29.
Congressman calls for feds to investigate, sanction Russian owner of Menlo Park development site Original
A businessman with connections to former Russian President Dmitry Medvedev is reportedly behind a controversial development at 80 Willow Road in Menlo Park. Congressman Sam Liccardo says the project’s Russian connections may be a national security concern. Medvedev visited Silicon Valley on June 23, 2010. Photo by Michelle Le U.S. Rep. Sam Liccardo is calling for a federal investigation into the financing and ownership of 80 Willow Road, a Menlo Park site slated for a high-rise development.
Fewer computer science students graduate from Stanford. What comes next? Original
Stanford University’s campus in Palo Alto on Oct. 7, 2025. Photo by Seeger Gray. The number of undergraduate computer science bachelor degrees conferred by Stanford University in 2026 decreased by 70 people – almost 14 percent – compared to the year before. A one-year drop at a single university is not a trend. There has always been “natural variation” in the number of degrees conferred in the program, said Stanford computer science chair Mehran Sahami.
Austin-based defense start-up Allen Control Systems to open Mountain View office
The Technology Showcase held at Civic Center Plaza in Mountain View on July 30, 2026. Allen Control Systems, a defense tech start-up, will join the ranks of other technology companies with offices in Mountain View. Photo by Michael Molcsan. The defense tech start-up Allen Control Systems is opening an office in Mountain View. Founded in 2022, Allen Control System merges artificial intelligence capabilities with defensive weapons.
Ownership of Menlo Park’s 80 Willow Road development raises questions for some
A protester holds a Menlo Forward sign opposing a planned development at 80 Willow Road, called Willow Park by the developer, in Menlo Park on Sept. 10, 2026. Photo by Seeger Gray. Why did a Russian businessman with reported ties to the former Russian president buy the 80 Willow Road property that once housed Sunset Magazine headquarters? It’s a question that has puzzled some Menlo Park residents after the property’s developer proposed constructing a 39-story tower on the property.
Ownership of Menlo Park’s 80 Willow Road development raises questions for some
A protester holds a Menlo Forward sign opposing a planned development at 80 Willow Road, called Willow Park by the developer, in Menlo Park on Sept. 10, 2026. Photo by Seeger Gray. Why did a Russian businessman with reported ties to the former Russian president buy the 80 Willow Road property that once housed Sunset Magazine headquarters? It’s a question that has puzzled some Menlo Park residents after the property’s developer proposed constructing a 39-story tower on the property.
Gone to the dogs? Las Lomitas school board could tighten campus pet rules
A dog at the Woodland School field, owned by Las Lomitas Elementary School District, in Ladera on July 2, 2024. Photo by Arden Margulis. The Las Lomitas Elementary School District is considering changes to its policies about dogs on school campuses and district property at its Wednesday, Sept. 16, school board meeting.
East Palo Alto plants seeds for a future urban forest Original
An aerial view of East Palo Alto on Aug. 25, 2026. Photo by Seeger Gray. The fruits of East Palo Alto’s decades-long effort to grow its urban forest are beginning to show. Starting in 2007, about 1,200 trees were planted along a two-mile section bordering Highway 101 and in streets around the city, where the trees muffle traffic noise and filter pollution from cars. There’s a grove of mature silver lindens in Jack Ferrell Park, planted in 2017.
Stanford Health Care to lay off 95 employees
A Stanford hospital at 500 Pasteur Drive in 2019. Photo by Sammy Dallal. Stanford Health Care will lay off 95 employees this fall, the organization announced. Employees will remain on payroll until Nov. 2, when the layoffs will take effect. The 95 employees are in the technology and digital solutions and other administrative departments, Stanford Health Care spokesperson Lisa Kim disclosed. The worksite of the affected employees is 1830 and 1840 Embarcadero Road in Palo Alto.
Stanford Health Care to lay off 95 employees
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Stanford Health Care to lay off 95 employees Original
A Stanford hospital at 500 Pasteur Drive in 2019. Photo by Sammy Dallal. Stanford Health Care will lay off 95 employees this fall, the organization announced. Employees will remain on payroll until Nov. 2, when the layoffs will take effect. The 95 employees are in the technology and digital solutions and other administrative departments, Stanford Health Care spokesperson Lisa Kim disclosed. The worksite of the affected employees is 1830 and 1840 Embarcadero Road in Palo Alto.
Humans in the age of AI
Artificial intelligence is alternately billed as the most consequential technology in history or a speculative bubble that will pop and lead to economic chaos. It’s a difficult contrast to comprehend. For some people, the potential of the technology provokes feelings of euphoria; for others, dread and paralysis.
Humans in the age of AI
Artificial intelligence is alternately billed as the most consequential technology in history or a speculative bubble that will pop and lead to economic chaos. It’s a difficult contrast to comprehend. For some people, the potential of the technology provokes feelings of euphoria; for others, dread and paralysis.
Deena Shakir: ‘We haven’t figured out the guardrails’
Deena Shakir. Photo by Mark Tuschman “I’ve actually never been more optimistic about the potential for technology when it comes to healthcare on the consumer side. On the enterprise side, it’s also a huge area of interest. Every major health system, every health insurance company, every pharmaceutical company is excited about the opportunity for AI to help them do what they do better, more effectively. A couple of examples come to mind.
Yousuf Khan: ‘There is so much opportunity with AI at the industry level’
Yousuf Khan. Photo by Mark Tuschman “After many years as an investor, my core focus right now is building a company. The focus of our company is very simple: we would like to get rid of what we consider to be data rot, which is lots of old garbage data that’s been hanging around for a long time that companies have not cleaned, whether it’s documents or files or photos or videos or content. Our job is to clean that data up to make sure that companies can use fewer tokens and get better outcomes.
Dr. Aifra Ahmed: ‘The human element in the physician-patient relationship is critical’
Dr. Aifra Ahmed. Photo by Mark Tuschman “During COVID, I was working in the hospital – at Kaiser, Redwood City at the time – and I was also working in a nursing home. I saw firsthand the limitations that we had during Covid, especially with social isolation and the need for tech, not just AI but just tech in general. That’s when I started exploring solutions that tech can provide.
Pranjali Chumbhale: ‘AI is enhancing their journey. It’s not replacing the teacher.’
Pranjali Chumbhale. Photo by Mark Tuschman “I am the founder of Eedee, (a digital platform for performing arts teachers and schools). I have been a student of performing arts since age 5. It’s called Bharatnatyam. It’s an Indian classical dance form. What I noticed (in the performing arts) was that people who interact with this field on a daily basis are students, parents and teachers. They currently have a well-integrated system when it comes to their studios.
Dr. Thomas Osborne: ‘This is the most important and exciting time in history.’
Dr. Thomas Osborne. Photo by Mark Tuschman “I’ve been doing different things in artificial intelligence for about 13 years. In general, I see AI as a tool and not a solution. The number of tools in this category called AI is ever-expanding which is both exciting and overwhelming. Healthcare is so fundamental to everything, and everything is fundamental to healthcare.
Terry Winograd: ‘You don’t want to use AI in those cases where human care is really what matters’
Terry Winograd. Photo by Mark Tuschman “I started in the MIT AI lab, and it was one of the very early places that did symbolic AI – what’s called good old fashioned AI. I ended up coming to the AI lab at Stanford. Over time a couple of things happened. My approach shifted, dropping the assumption that we were modeling human thought.
Romain Speciel: ‘Detracting from the human experience’
Romain Speciel. Photo by Mark Tuschman “I learned how to have fun doing math research when I was a teenager, and that fun continued until my 20s. When I got the option to do a Ph.D, I wanted to keep doing it, because I have so much fun doing math research. I think the passion and beauty that I see in mathematics is in its simplicity to express ideas that initially appear extremely complicated. I think mathematics is full of philosophical lessons, if you listen carefully.
Umair Khan: ‘AI can be the great equalizer’ Original
Umair Khan. Photo by Mark Tuschman On Venture Capital “In venture capital… the pitches and startups coming to us are heavy on AI. Everything is AI, and it is up to us to separate the wheat from the chaff. It’s not the AI component that we probe deeply on. It’s actually the non-AI component. It’s your industry expertise, your understanding of the use cases, and most importantly, your understanding of the humans facing those problems. That is, at some level, the real moat. How do we, as a fund, use AI?
Narges Baniasadi: ‘We should embrace and use AI’ Original
Narges Baniasadi. Photo by Mark Tuschman “By 2018, which is about 14 years after I came to the U.S…, I was a bit disillusioned. I was also growing critical of many things in this country around inequality and the innovation sector. The vibe of Stanford and Silicon Valley – I realized so much of it is either technology driven or hype driven. Certain areas get all the attention. Today, AI is of course very big and gets a lot of attention, and certain areas are mostly neglected.
Rabbi David Booth: ‘We’re looking at a tool that so closely emulates being human’ Original
Rabbi David Booth. Photo by Mark Tuschman “AI, particular language models, feel human in a very interesting and illusory way. They’re programmed generally to be very accommodating and loving. It gives you the illusion of infinite attention, and it gives you the illusion of infinite approval. I use it in a lot of ways, but one of the things is when I’ll give a talk, I occasionally like to run it through (AI) and ask for suggestions and structure.
Giorgio Lagna: ‘Sky is the limit’ Original
Giorgio Lagna. Photo by Mark Tuschman “I am a professor at Foothill College. Until this summer, I was also a lecturer at Santa Clara University. Currently I am also an assistant professor at the University of California, San Francisco. I trained as a developmental biologist and also a molecular biologist. When (ChatGPT) came out (around) 2022, I was already very much enmeshed in my role as an educator. I am a technologist. I am someone who likes technology.
Alex Efremova: ‘AI dumbs you down if you use it constantly’ Original
Alex Efremova. Photo by Mark Tuschman “I have ethical concerns about the way that (AI) operates. The way that they, the companies, place the servers in vulnerable communities and use up the water. I’ve read up a bit on that, and I’ve decided for myself not to use generative AI as much as I can. I am a person who considers myself an activist, and if I betray my values, then that makes me not have moral integrity. It’s about my morals.
Sarah Barrington: ‘It’s always kind of an arms race’ Original
Sarah Barrington. Photo by Mark Tuschman “People have tried to rewrite history by altering content for hundreds of years. This tendency – to create narratives and push them out and create content that supports those narratives – is something that is inherent to the human experience. But what is different now is that these tools have come in with the dawn of something called machine learning – which was basically an automation of sorts – and now to AI, which is a more intelligent automation.
Denise Pope: ‘I see AI as a tool that we’re learning how to use’
Denise Pope. Photo by Mark Tuschman “I’m a senior lecturer here at the Stanford Graduate School of Education. In that role, I teach qualitative research methods. I teach curriculum construction. I work with teachers from all across the globe. There has always been cheating. People have always found ways to get around rules and regulations. We’ve surveyed many schools in this area, and typically (the rate of) cheating has been around 72% to 75%.
Jai and Saahil Giri: Infinite use cases or robot world? Original
Jai Giri, left, and Saahil Giri, right. Photo by Mark Tuschman Jai “Every time you use an electronic device, there is AI and machine learning built in. That’s why I love it so much. It’s used everywhere, and it makes our life so much better. A lot of people don’t even realize where it’s being used. If you put on headphones, there’s machine learning working on your headphones. There’s machine learning between your electronic car key and your car.
Dr. Lisa Lehmann: ‘Embrace the discomfort’ Original
Dr. Lisa Lehmann. Photo by Mark Tuschman “My background is in moral philosophy and ethics. (I’ve) spent most of my career doing work in ethics, primarily in a healthcare environment as a clinical ethicist, doing clinical research and more recently focusing on AI ethics. I’m also a primary care physician who’s taken care of patients for several decades.
Ken Palla: ‘AI can be really good, but it’s also good for evil’ Original
Ken Palla. Photo by Mark Tuschman “I worked at MUFG Union Bank from 2005 to 2019. While I was there, I managed online security, which meant I was protecting both our retail and commercial customers from online security threats. I officially retired in 2019, but I’ve been working for banks and for vendors and doing a lot of writing… (with) a specific focus on consumer scams. AI exploded in November 2022. It’s emblazoned on my calendar when that happened.
Iris Blanchet: ‘We’re walking this fine line between optimism and pessimism’
Iris Blanchet. Photo by Mark Tuschman “Back in freshman year, my dad and I laughed at how primitive the AI really felt. Because we’re big fans of (the TV show) ‘Frasier,’ we had it create fake “Frasier” episodes, and it got everything wrong. But, as it’s improved over the past four years, I’d say it’s kind of impressed me how accurate it tends to be. So my thinking has evolved to seeing it as a toy to a tool that people can use to innovate more.
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