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CalMatters: Newsom vetoes major California artificial intelligence bill
webcalmatters.org·calmatters.org/economy/2024/09/california-artificial-inte...
This news article covers a pivotal moment in US AI governance: Newsom's veto of SB 1047 in September 2024, which was the most prominent attempt at state-level frontier AI safety regulation and sparked broad debate about the appropriate locus and design of AI oversight.
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Summary
California Governor Gavin Newsom vetoed SB 1047, a landmark AI safety bill that would have imposed safety requirements on developers of large frontier AI models. The veto was a significant setback for state-level AI regulation, with Newsom arguing the bill was too broad and could stifle innovation while not targeting the highest-risk applications specifically.
Key Points
- •SB 1047 would have required developers of large AI models (above a compute threshold) to implement safety measures and conduct risk assessments before deployment.
- •Newsom argued the bill's blanket approach based on compute thresholds was flawed and could harm smaller AI companies while not effectively targeting dangerous applications.
- •The veto was controversial, with AI safety advocates viewing it as a major missed opportunity for proactive governance of frontier AI systems.
- •The decision highlighted tensions between AI safety advocates and industry stakeholders, with major tech companies lobbying against the bill.
- •The veto shifted attention to federal-level AI regulation and raised questions about California's role as a potential AI safety standard-setter.
Cited by 1 page
| Page | Type | Quality |
|---|---|---|
| Safe and Secure Innovation for Frontier Artificial Intelligence Models Act | Policy | 66.0 |
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The Dreamforce conference hosted by Salesforce in San Francisco on Sept. 18, 2024. Dreamforce is an annual tech conference attracting thousands of participants and is the largest AI event in the world, according to Salesforce. Photo by Florence Middleton for CalMatters
**In summary**
The legislation would have required tech companies to test AI for harm to society. It attracted opposition from numerous members of Congress and major AI companies including Google, Meta, and OpenAI.
California Gov. Gavin Newsom today vetoed the most ambitious — and contentious — bill approved by the Legislature this year to regulate artificial intelligence.
The legislation, [Senate Bill 1047](https://calmatters.digitaldemocracy.org/bills/ca_202320240sb1047), would have [required testing of AI models](https://calmatters.org/economy/technology/2024/08/ai-regulation-showdown/) to determine whether they would likely lead to mass death, endanger public infrastructure or enable severe cyberattacks.
[Newsom in his veto letter criticized the bill](https://www.gov.ca.gov/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/SB-1047-Veto-Message.pdf) for potentially “curtailing the very innovation that fuels advancement in favor of the public good.” He also said it would have needlessly regulated AI used in low-risk situations and that it was written without enough research.
“A California-only approach may well be warranted — especially absent federal action by Congress — but it must be based on empirical evidence and science,” he wrote.
The bill applied only to the costliest AI models, needing $100 million or more to develop, and Newsom objected to that threshold, saying cheaper tech can still be harmful.
The governor wrote that he will work to “find the appropriate path forward, including legislation and regulation” to address AI risks.
Opponents argued that the bill would harm the state economy and AI industry. They included Google, Meta, OpenAI, and eight [members of the California congressional delegation](https://www.sfchronicle.com/california/article/rare-move-ca-members-congress-urge-newsom-veto-19659634.php). The state Chamber of Commerce [praised the veto](https://x.com/CalChamber/status/1840498084410999211) , saying the legislation would put “California’s place as the global hub of innovation at tremendous risk.”
The bill’s sponsor, San Francisco Democratic Sen. Scott Wiener, [called the veto](https://x.com/Scott_Wiener/status/1840493325029404686) “a missed opportunity for California to once again lead on innovative tech regulation” and protect public safety. His bill’s supporters include [59% of California voters, according to one poll](https://theaipi.org/april-voters-prefer-ai-regulation-over-self-regulation-2/), along with billionaire Elon Musk, the Screen Actors Guild, Servic
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