Ella Chakarian

Ella Chakarian is a tech reporter for the Los Angeles Times, focusing on the unexpected ways artificial intelligence is changing our lives and communities. Her work has appeared in Rolling Stone, 404 Media, Teen Vogue and other outlets. As a freelance journalist, she has covered a range of issues including the use of xAI’s Grok to create non-consensual intimate images of women, online support groups for people trying to curb compulsive chatbot usage and AI “therapist” chatbots impersonating real mental health professionals. Previously, she was a fellow with the Pulitzer Center on Crisis Reporting, where she covered political unrest in Armenia. Born and raised in Los Angeles, Ella studied English, journalism and creative writing at UC Berkeley and earned an M.S. in journalism from Columbia University.