Sean Vanderaa is an AI product engineer based in Sacramento, California. With internal tools that help the Tribune operate more efficiently and audience-facing products that make information more accessible, his goal is to leverage AI to better inform Texans. Previously, he worked as the AI product manager at Gigafact, building products to help local newsrooms fight misinformation and rebuild trust in news. He graduated in 2024 from the University of California, Davis, where he studied computational cognitive science and helped establish the AI Student Collective, a now-national consortium of student organizations focused on AI literacy and education. Outside of the Trib, Sean enjoys hiking and backpacking, and is slowly getting to know the local bears of the Sierra Nevada.