Mar 01, 2026 19:00:00It turns out that AI sent a large amount of opposition to a proposed regulation to reduce air pollution from gas appliancesCalifornia regulators announced a proposed rule in June 2025 to phase out the sale of some gas fireplaces and gas water heaters in order to limit the amount of pollutants that contribute to smog. An AI-powered campaign may have killed a key vote on air quality - Los Angeles TimesIn June 2025,(AQMD) announced two proposed regulations to limit emissions of nitrogen oxides, the main pollutant that forms smog. The second proposed regulation would impose a $100 (approximately 15,000 yen) surcharge on each gas appliance and a $50 (approximately 8,000 yen) surcharge on gas water heaters. The overwhelming opposition to the proposed regulations has been attributed to the influence of tens of thousands of opposing messages sent to the AQMD. 'The proposed regulation failed to consider the high costs of the regulation, so we created an environment where residents could easily voice their concerns directly to the AQMD.

Source: Los Angeles Times March 01, 2026 14:40 UTC