California Governor Gavin Newsom argued that the AI Safety bill (Safe & Secure Innovation for Frontier AI Models Act - SB 1047) failed to adequately address concerns about the technology's possible negative effects by concentrating on regulating the largest artificial intelligence systems, or frontier models. A rewrite for the next session, he said, should be considered by lawmakers. Opponents of the bill, including some academics and tech experts, criticized the Governor's decision against the bill.
It must be noted that Democratic Governor Gavin Newsom was under tremendous pressure to reject the bill, which sparked a heated national discussion about AI regulations in California. Many lobbyists, some of whom were pitching the technology's supposed numerous perks, flooded his office in the past few weeks. Who authored this bill? Who opposed Governor Gavin’s veto? What way forward did Governor Gavin propose? Read on to discover more.
The Author of the AI Safety Bill
The author of the Bill is Democratic state senator Scott Weiner who criticized the veto and described it as "a setback for everyone who believes in oversight of massive corporations that are making critical decisions that affect the safety and the welfare of the public and the future of the planet."
According to him, corporations investing in AI research and development are fully aware of the serious and growing dangers their models pose to the general population. Leading AI labs have made commendable pledges to keep an eye on these dangers and find ways to lessen them, but industry pledges aren't always enforceable and end up hurting the public.
The Remedy Governor Gavin Proposes
To succinctly capture the standpoint of the California Governor, here are his words: “The bill (SB 1047) does not take into account whether an Al system is deployed in high-risk environments, involves critical decision-making or the use of sensitive data…Instead, the bill applies stringent standards to even the most basic functions…” Further, Governor Gavin Newsom announced that safety barriers surrounding sophisticated AI models will be developed in partnership with various industry professionals, including AI innovator Fei-Fei Li.
In order to mitigate the dangers posed by artificial intelligence, this bill would mandate that businesses conduct safety tests on their models and make their safety protocols public. In essence, Governor Gavin’s proposal could bring much-needed accountability and openness to large-scale AI models, which experts and developers alike admit they still don't completely comprehend.
Noteworthy Oppositions to the Governor Gavin’s Veto
There have been significant reactions and notable oppositions to Governor Gavin's recent veto, highlighting key arguments from companies, political leaders, activists, and citizens. These are some of them;
- Tesla CEO Elon Musk
- Fmr. U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi
- Anthropic
- OpenAI
- Microsoft
- Alphabet’s Google
- Meta
Final Thoughts
The rather interesting thing is that most AI companies are based in California; precisely, Silicon Valley, and this explains why the pushback against Governor Gavin Newsom’s veto isn’t unexpected. While he believes the bill needs to better address the specific risks posed by advanced AI models, critics argue that the veto delays necessary regulations.
Moving forward, the governor aims to collaborate with industry experts to establish stronger safety measures. This moment highlights the urgent need for balanced AI oversight, ensuring technological progress while protecting the public. As California grapples with AI’s rapid evolution, the outcome of this debate could shape future tech policies nationwide.