California Governor Newsom signs landmark AI safety bill SB 53

California Gov. Gavin Newsom has signed SB 53, a first-in-the-nation measure that sets new transparency requirements on ample AI companies.

SB 53, which passed the authorities legislature 2 weeks ago, requires ample AI labs – including OpenAI, Anthropic, Meta, and Google DeepMind – to beryllium transparent astir safety protocols. It also ensures whistleblower protections for employees astatine those companies.  

In addition, SB 53 creates a mechanics for AI companies and the nationalist to study imaginable captious information incidents to California’s Office of Emergency Services. Companies also have to study incidents related to crimes committed without quality oversight, specified arsenic cyberattacks, and deceptive behaviour by a exemplary that isn’t required nether the EU AI Act.  

The measure has received mixed reactions from the AI industry. Tech firms person broadly argued that state-level AI argumentation risks creating a “patchwork of regulation” that would hinder innovation, though Anthropic endorsed the bill. Meta and OpenAi lobbied against it. OpenAI adjacent wrote and published an unfastened missive to Gov. Newsom that discouraged his signing of SB 53.

The caller measure comes arsenic immoderate of Silicon Valley’s tech elite person determination hundreds of millions into ace PACs to backmost candidates that enactment a light-touch attack to AI regulation. Leaders astatine OpenAI and Meta have successful caller weeks launched pro-AI ace PACs that purpose to back candidates and bills that are affable to AI. 

Still, different states mightiness look to California for inspiration arsenic they attempt to curb the potential harms caused by the unmitigated advancement of specified a almighty emerging technology. In New York, a akin measure was passed by authorities lawmakers and is awaiting Gov. Kathy Hochul’s signature oregon veto.  

“California has proven that we tin found regulations to support our communities portion besides ensuring that the increasing AI manufacture continues to thrive,” Newsom said successful a statement. “This authorities strikes that balance. AI is the caller frontier successful innovation, and California is not lone present for it – but stands beardown arsenic a nationalist person by enacting the first-in-the-nation frontier AI information authorities that builds nationalist spot arsenic this emerging exertion rapidly evolves.” 

The politician is besides weighing different measure – SB 243 – that passed some the State Assembly and Senate with bipartisan enactment this month. The measure would modulate AI companion chatbots, requiring operators to instrumentality information protocols, and clasp them legally accountable if their bots fail to meet those standards.  

SB 53 is Senator Scott Wiener’s 2nd effort astatine an AI information bill after Newsom vetoed his much sweeping SB 1047 past twelvemonth amid large pushback from AI companies. With this bill, Wiener reached retired to large AI companies to effort to assistance them recognize the changes helium made to the bill.