Washington Post

In Big Tech’s backyard, California lawmaker unveils landmark AI bill

A California lawmaker introduced a bill aiming to force companies to test the most powerful artificial intelligence models before releasing them—a landmark proposal that could inspire regulation around the country as state legislatures increasingly take up the swiftly evolving technology. The new bill, sponsored by Sen Scott Wiener (D-CA), who represents San Francisco, would require companies training new AI models to test their tools for “unsafe” behavior, institute hacking protections and develop the tech in such a way that it can be shut down completely.

An internet media company launches a plan to cover the election for Gen Z

A company best known for its posts on Instagram announced that it will try to capitalize on young people’s growing use of social media for news by teaming with a well known TikTok creator for political coverage this year. The company, Betches, said it will partner with the creator Vitus “V” Spehar a.k.a.

Child safety hearing puts key internet law back in Congress’s crosshairs

Senators of both parties are focusing their criticism on a law that Congress passed in 1996—a law that paved the way for social media as we know it. That law, said Sen. Dick Durbin (D-IL), “needs to change.” The statute in question is Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act, which gives online service providers broad immunity from lawsuits over their users’ posts, with the goal of promoting free expression online. Over the years, it has survived court challenges, legislative pushes, and an executive order by President Donald Trump. Now, it is in Congress’s sights once again.