California lawmakers voted to pass SB 1047, an artificial intelligence safety bill vilified by much of the tech industry that has become a local political flashpoint, sending it to the governor’s desk
The bill is aimed at requiring companies that spend $100 million or more training AI models to develop safety measures to prevent their technology from being used to cause serious harm to society.
Introduced by state Sen. Scott Wiener, the bill has been a lightning rod for criticism from those who worry it will quash the budding AI industry in its infancy and negatively affect the economies of San Francisco and the state.
SB 1047 received a final confirmation vote in the state Senate where it passed 29-9. Gov. Gavin Newsom has not publicly stated his position on the bill, which he could veto.
“Innovation and safety can go hand in hand — and California is leading the way,” Wiener said in a statement. “With this vote, the Assembly has taken the truly historic step of working proactively to ensure an exciting new technology protects the public interest as it advances.”
The passage comes as a fraught political fight about the legislation spilled into public view in recent weeks, with heavy-hitter elected officials taking sides — including Speaker Emerita Nancy Pelosi, who came out against the bill.
Mayor London Breed joined Pelosi, arguing that more thought needs to be put into the bill. Breed’s opposition was unexpected to many observers, considering her close relationship with Wiener, particularly on pro-housing initiatives.
But perhaps the most surprising opinion was that of tech titan Elon Musk, who said the bill is necessary. Though he has advocated for regulation of artificial intelligence, Musk has been highly critical of state and local governments in California.
This is a tough call and will make some people upset, but, all things considered, I think California should probably pass the SB 1047 AI safety bill.
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) August 26, 2024
For over 20 years, I have been an advocate for AI regulation, just as we regulate any product/technology that is a potential risk…
The bill has been a source of controversy across Silicon Valley, with San Francisco mayoral candidates weighing in on whether they think it could hurt the city’s economy by suppressing a budding industry.
Several AI experts have slammed the bill, as have venture capitalists and companies like OpenAI. But Anthropic, one of the largest startups in the space, sent a letter to Newsom’s office last week saying that a revised version of the legislation’s “benefits likely outweigh its costs.”
Wiener’s advocacy for the bill could be risky for his political future.
The state senator is expected to eventually make a bid for Pelosi’s seat in Congress; it remains to be seen whether his authorship of the AI legislation will scare off potential support from deep-pocketed donors in the technology space.