Newsom Vetoes AI Safety Bill Opposed by Silicon Valley

Sep 29, 2024, 08:44 PM

California Governor Gavin Newsom has vetoed SB 1047, known as the 'Safe and Secure Innovation for Frontier Artificial Intelligence Models Act,' a controversial AI safety bill that would have imposed new safety regulations on major AI developers in the state. The bill, sponsored by Senator Scott Wiener and opposed by Silicon Valley, aimed to require companies to ensure their AI models do not cause major harm to the public. The legislation was the first ambitious AI regulation approved by the legislature and divided the tech industry and AI safety researchers. In his veto message, Newsom stated, 'I do not believe this is the best approach to protecting the public from real threats posed by the technology.' He emphasized that California is home to 32 of the world's 50 leading AI companies and expressed a desire to develop a responsible and safe AI regulatory framework without stifling innovation.