Newsom Vetoes AI Safety Bill

Citing Innovation Concerns Amid Growing Industry Debate

Author

AI For You
September 30, 2024

In partnership with

With the increasing use of AI around the world, lawmakers are also becoming more and more stringent with their regulations however very recently something new happened, a government official vetoed a law. To know why lets get into it.

California Governor Gavin Newsom has vetoed a controversial bill aimed at increasing safety regulations for artificial intelligence systems, following significant pushback from the tech industry. The proposed legislation, authored by Democratic State Senator Scott Wiener, sought to mandate safety testing for advanced AI models and establish a state body to oversee the development of cutting-edge AI systems known as Frontier Models. It also would have required AI developers to implement mechanisms, like kill switches, to shut down these systems if necessary.

Newsom, while acknowledging the potential risks of AI, argued that the bill imposed overly strict requirements on all AI technologies without distinguishing between those used in high-risk situations and more basic applications. He expressed concerns that the legislation could stifle innovation and drive tech companies out of California. Instead, Newsom has called for the development of more precise, science-based guidelines, and asked experts to help create "workable guardrails" for AI regulation.

Senator Wiener, however, criticized the veto, warning that without binding restrictions, the public remains at risk as the AI industry continues to grow rapidly. He expressed skepticism about relying on voluntary commitments from tech companies, which he says often fail to protect the public.

The bill faced strong opposition from major tech players like Google, OpenAI, and Meta, but found support from figures like Elon Musk, whose company xAI is involved in AI development. Newsom has committed to working with the legislature on AI safety legislation in the future, while also ordering state agencies to assess risks posed by AI to critical infrastructure like energy and water systems.

This veto comes as efforts to regulate AI at the federal level have stalled in Congress, though the Biden administration is pushing forward with its own proposals for AI oversight. Newsom suggested that, absent federal action, a California-specific approach to AI regulation might be necessary in the future.

Do remember to checkout Growth School’s masterclass in AI.

🦾 Master AI & ChatGPT for FREE in just 3 hours 🤯

1 Million+ people have attended, and are RAVING about this AI Workshop.
Don’t believe us? Attend it for free and see it for yourself.

Highly Recommended: 🚀

Join this 3-hour Power-Packed Masterclass worth $399 for absolutely free and learn 20+ AI tools to become 10x better & faster at what you do

🗓️ Tomorrow | ⏱️ 10 AM EST

In this Masterclass, you’ll learn how to:

🚀 Do quick excel analysis & make AI-powered PPTs 
🚀 Build your own personal AI assistant to save 10+ hours
🚀 Become an expert at prompting & learn 20+ AI tools
🚀 Research faster & make your life a lot simpler & more…