Gavin Newsom has rejected SB 1048, stating that while the bill is “well-intentioned,” it could impose unnecessary limitations on emerging AI companies in California.
The California governor vetoed a contentious artificial intelligence (AI) bill, contending that it would stifle innovation and fail to address the actual threats posed by the technology.
On September 30, Newsom vetoed SB 1047, known as the Safe and Secure Innovation for Frontier Artificial Intelligence Models Act, which faced considerable opposition from Silicon Valley.
The legislation proposed mandatory safety testing for AI models and other protective measures, causing concern among tech firms that it would hinder innovation.
In a statement released on September 29, Newsom criticized the bill for focusing too heavily on regulating established AI companies, neglecting to protect the public from the “real” dangers of new technologies.
“Instead, the bill imposes strict standards even on the most fundamental functions as long as they are deployed by a large system. I do not think this is the most effective way to safeguard the public from the genuine risks associated with this technology.”
Authored by San Francisco Democratic Senator Scott Wiener, SB 1047 would also mandate that developers in California—such as OpenAI, Meta, and Google—integrate a “kill switch” into their AI models and publish strategies for managing extreme risks.
If enacted, the bill would allow the state attorney general to sue AI developers in the event of an ongoing threat from systems like an AI grid takeover.
Newsom noted that he had consulted leading AI safety experts to assist California in creating “workable guardrails” aimed at establishing a “science-based trajectory analysis.” He also instructed state agencies to broaden their evaluation of risks stemming from potential catastrophic events linked to AI development.
Although Newsom vetoed SB 1047, he emphasized the necessity for robust safety protocols for AI, asserting that regulators cannot afford to “wait for a major disaster to occur before taking measures to protect the public.”
He mentioned that his administration has enacted more than 18 bills regarding AI regulation within the past 30 days.
Political Pushback on AI Safety Bill
The bill faced significant opposition from lawmakers, advisors, and major tech companies leading up to Newsom’s decision.
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and companies like OpenAI expressed that it would severely restrict the growth of AI.
Neil Chilson, the head of AI policy at Abundance Institute, cautioned that while the bill mainly targets models exceeding $100 million in cost and size, its implications could extend to affect smaller developers as well.
However, some figures support the legislation. Billionaire Elon Musk, who is creating his own AI model called “Grok,” is one of the few tech leaders in favor of the bill and comprehensive AI regulations.
In a post on X on August 26, Musk stated, “California should probably pass the SB 1047 AI safety bill,” although he acknowledged that supporting the bill was a “tough call.”
