Gov. Gavin Newsom vetoes AI safety bill opposed by Silicon Valley

Gov. Gavin Newsom (D-CA) vetoed SB 1047, an artificial intelligence safety bill that would have established requirements for developers of advanced AI models to create protocols aimed at preventing catastrophes. The bill, introduced by Sen. Scott Wiener (D-San Francisco), would have required developers to submit their safety plans to the state attorney general, who could hold them liable if AI models they directly control were to cause harm or imminent threats to public safety. Additionally, the legislation would have required tech firms to be able to turn off the AI models they directly control if things went awry. Gov Newsom said the legislation could give the public a “false sense of security about controlling this fast-moving technology” because it targeted only large-scale and expensive AI models and not smaller, specialized systems. The Newsom administration has enlisted leaders in the field to help the state create workable protections for the deployment of AI, focusing on analyzing its capabilities and risks. Gov Newsom promised to continue working with the state legislature on the issue next session.