California governor rejects landmark AI safety bill

California Governor Gavin Newsom has vetoed a significant AI safety bill that faced strong opposition from major tech companies. The bill aimed to introduce some of the first regulations on AI in the United States, reports a Kazinform News Agency correspondent.

Governor Newsom explained that the legislation could hamper innovation and drive AI developers out of California. He expressed concern that the bill’s broad regulations would apply even to basic AI systems, regardless of their risk level or use of sensitive data.

“The bill 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 - so long as a large system deploys it,” said Newsom in a statement, according to BBC.

Authored by Senator Scott Wiener, the bill sought to require safety testing for advanced AI models and mandated a ‘kill switch’ to shut down systems if they became dangerous. It also proposed government oversight for the most powerful AI systems, known as ‘Frontier Models’.

Despite vetoing the bill, Newsom emphasized his commitment to protecting the public from AI risks and announced plans to work with experts to create safeguards for the technology.

In recent weeks, Mr. Newsom has signed 17 bills, including measures targeting misinformation and ‘deep fakes’, which includes manipulated images, videos, or audio content, produced using generative AI technology.

Senator Wiener criticized the veto, arguing that it leaves AI companies without proper oversight, especially as Congress has been slow to implement regulations. Major tech firms like OpenAI, Google, and Meta opposed the bill, claiming it would slow the development of critical AI technologies.