Yup. There was an AI Safety Event in Marina del Rey last month. Hosted by BlueDot Impact, AI Safety Awareness Project, and AE Studio. Technologists, researchers, and students interested in AI safety participated. AE Studio in Venice, CA is an AI product development company with an active alignment team. The CEO (Judd Rosenblatt) is a well-known figure in the LA tech community and would be a valuable contact. There is also significant crossover between members of the Effective Altruism LA, LA Rationality, and AI safety communities. These groups usually share interests and members, making them great sources. UCLA hosts an AI safety research club focused on the development and impact of advanced AI systems. Reaching out to the club’s leadership and active members can help seed AISLA with more students and researchers. USC has an org for AI alignment and safety and can be contacted as well. There are also a ton of tech companies in LA that have AI teams - SnapChat, Hulu, Google, & Apple.