Over 100 AI Employees Wrote to Gov. Newsom Urging Him to Sign SB 1047
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Good quality. Reputable source with community review or editorial standards, but less rigorous than peer-reviewed venues.
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This 2024 Wired article covers AI workers' grassroots advocacy for California's SB 1047 safety bill, illustrating internal industry divisions on AI governance and the broader debate over state-level AI regulation.
Metadata
Summary
More than 100 employees working at AI companies wrote an open letter to California Governor Gavin Newsom urging him to sign SB 1047, a bill that would impose safety requirements on large AI models. The letter reflected internal dissent within the AI industry, where many workers supported stronger regulation despite their employers' opposition to the bill. Newsom ultimately vetoed SB 1047 in September 2024.
Key Points
- •Over 100 AI company employees signed an open letter to Gov. Newsom in support of SB 1047, breaking with many of their employers' official stances.
- •SB 1047 would have required safety testing, kill switches, and other safeguards for large AI models trained above a compute threshold.
- •The letter highlighted a divide between AI company leadership (largely opposed) and rank-and-file workers (many supportive) on AI safety regulation.
- •This grassroots employee action represented a notable instance of industry workers advocating for AI governance against corporate positions.
- •Newsom vetoed SB 1047 in September 2024, citing concerns it was too broad and could stifle innovation.
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| Page | Type | Quality |
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| EA and Longtermist Wins and Losses | -- | 53.0 |
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