San Diego County Gets Its First AI Lab With 90-Minute Workshops

A new artificial intelligence training center opened in City Heights this week, marking the first dedicated facility of its kind in San Diego County.

The City Heights Community Development Corporation built the lab to provide local residents with hands-on experience in emerging software. The space is designed for anyone in the county who wishes to learn how to use AI tools, regardless of their technical background. Instructors will guide students through practical applications, ranging from personal budgeting to building models for small business loan applications.

The curriculum includes instruction on popular platforms such as Co-Pilot and Claude. Angel Stancer, the organization's vice president of workforce development and community impact, noted that such environments have historically been limited to academic institutions. "We see that these types of environments have been reserved for academia and uh maybe some more places that our residents don't necessarily have access to," Stancer said. The goal is to help residents stay competitive in the job market and overcome barriers to entry in the technology sector.

Early participants have expressed that the practical focus of the training fills a specific gap in local education. Austin Roth, a workshop attendee, emphasized the need for direct experience as the technology evolves. "I just know AI is evolving so much, so just getting as much hands on as I can, um, to help me with, where I go next in life," Roth said. Joseph Johnson, another attendee, highlighted the relevance of the training for aspiring entrepreneurs. "It's tailored toward the someone who's trying to, um, have run their own business with AI and there's not really a lot of classes out there that are set up to for that kind of audience," Johnson said.

The lab is currently in its initial launch phase. Stancer indicated that the facility will be fully open to the public before the end of the year. The organization plans to offer standalone 90-minute workshops for residents to engage with the technology. Additionally, the center includes a robotics room where participants can interact with emerging hardware and software systems.