Portside

Activists with the Stop Killer Robots campaign are warning that autonomous, algorithm-driven weapons systems are already being deployed in conflicts, arguing that human lives should never be decided by the mechanical application of algorithms. The campaign links the spread of AI weapons to data centres, the military-industrial complex, and ongoing conflicts such as Gaza, calling for human control over lethal decisions.

Attention is turning to communities living beside the Port of Los Angeles, where residents—largely low-income and minority—face elevated exposure to pollution from freight traffic, trucks and shipping operations. Critics argue the health burdens of the port economy fall disproportionately on these neighborhoods, and calls are growing for stronger air-quality protections and environmental justice measures in the region.