• AI & Technology Trends
• ai innovation, ai startups, anduril, applied ai, artificial intelligence, costa mesa, fieldai, irvine tech, orange county ai, tech ecosystem, uc irvine
• September 23, 2026

When Americans think about artificial intelligence, the familiar names show up first. Silicon Valley. San Francisco. Seattle. Maybe Austin. Irvine and Costa Mesa are rarely on that list. But look past Orange County’s reputation for beaches, master-planned communities, and quiet suburban office parks and something is clearly happening. Autonomous defense systems are being built in Costa Mesa. Robots are learning …