Gov. Newsom vetoes landmark AI safety bill

Gov. Gavin Newson has vetoed a bill that would have put California on the cutting edge of artificial intelligence safety protections.

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The measure would have required AI developers to test their models and disclose safety protocols to the public to ensure they couldn’t be used for harmful purposes, like crippling a power grid or developing high-tech weapons systems. It also would have forced developers to implement a “kill switch” that would turn off an AI system if it became a threat.

In his veto message , Newsom said such strict controls could hamper tech development in California, where 32 of the 50 largest AI firms are located.

Newsom said he’s in favor of working with AI developers to produce safeguards, but consumer advocates don’t believe that asking tech firms to voluntarily comply with regulations they developed themselves will adequately protect the public.

Sen. Scott Weiner, who authored the bill, called the veto “a setback for everyone who believes in oversight of massive corporations,” noting that voluntary commitments to safety are “not enforceable and rarely work out well for the public.”

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