AI Safety Bill Clears Hurdle in California, Heads to Governor’s Desk

California lawmakers advanced a contentious artificial intelligence (AI) safety bill on Wednesday, which now awaits a final procedural vote before reaching Governor Gavin Newsom’s desk. Newsom has until September 30 to decide whether to sign the bill, known as SB 1047, into law or veto it, according to Reuters.

The legislation has sparked significant debate among tech companies developing generative AI, a technology that can generate text, images, or audio in response to prompts, and automate tasks with minimal human input. Many tech firms have voiced strong opposition to the bill, arguing that it could stifle innovation and drive AI companies out of California. Per Reuters, the bill has also faced resistance from some prominent Democrats in Congress, including Representative Nancy Pelosi.

However, the bill has garnered support from notable figures, including Tesla CEO Elon Musk, who also heads the AI firm xAI. Musk has publicly backed the legislation, which seeks to impose safety testing requirements on advanced AI models that cost over $100 million to develop or that require significant computing power. The bill also mandates that developers implement a “kill switch” to disable AI models that malfunction, particularly if they pose a threat to critical infrastructure, such as government systems or the power grid.

Related: OpenAI Supports California Bill for Mandatory AI Content Labels

In addition to these safety measures, SB 1047 empowers the state attorney general to take legal action against non-compliant developers, especially in cases where AI poses a risk to public safety. The bill also requires developers to hire third-party auditors to evaluate their safety practices and offers protections to whistleblowers who report AI-related abuses.

The bill’s author, Democratic State Senator Scott Wiener, represents San Francisco, a hub for AI innovation and home to companies like OpenAI. Wiener has emphasized the need for legislation to safeguard the public before AI technology becomes too advanced to control. According to Reuters, Martin Casado, a general partner at venture capital firm Andreessen Horowitz, expressed hope that Governor Newsom would veto the bill, citing the unusually broad bipartisan opposition it has faced.

Major tech companies, including Alphabet’s Google, Microsoft-backed OpenAI, and Meta Platforms, have raised concerns about the bill in letters to Senator Wiener. While Amazon-backed AI firm Anthropic has acknowledged the potential benefits of the legislation, it has also pointed out areas that remain unclear or troubling.

Source: Reuters