California Lawmakers Pass AI Safety Bill SB 53, But Newsom Could Still Veto
In a significant development for the tech industry, California's state senate gave final approval early on Saturday morning to a major AI safety bill, setting new transparency requirements on large companies. The bill, known as SB 53, now goes to Governor Gavin Newsom to sign or veto.
The legislation, authored by State Senator Scott Wiener, requires large AI labs to be transparent about their safety protocols and creates whistleblower protections for employees at these facilities. Additionally, the bill establishes a public cloud, called CalCompute, which will expand access to computing resources for researchers and developers.
According to Wiener, the new bill was influenced by recommendations from a policy panel of AI experts that Newsom convened after his veto of a more expansive safety bill last year. "We've taken a thoughtful approach to addressing the concerns about AI safety while also ensuring that we're not over-regulating an industry that has the potential to drive significant innovation and economic growth," Wiener said in a statement.
The original bill, which was vetoed by Newsom, applied stringent standards to large models regardless of whether they were deployed in high-risk environments or involved critical decision-making. Newsom acknowledged the importance of protecting the public from real threats posed by AI technology but criticized the bill for being too broad.
SB 53 has been amended since its introduction, with changes aimed at addressing some of the concerns raised by industry stakeholders. According to Politico, the amendments include provisions that would exempt certain types of AI models from the transparency requirements.
The implications of SB 53 are significant, as they could set a precedent for other states and countries to follow. As AI technology continues to advance at an unprecedented pace, lawmakers are grappling with how to balance innovation with safety concerns.
Industry experts have welcomed the bill's focus on transparency and whistleblower protections but have expressed concerns about the potential impact of CalCompute on the tech industry. "While we support the goal of increasing access to computing resources, we're concerned that this could create a bureaucratic nightmare for companies trying to innovate," said a spokesperson for the California Technology Association.
The fate of SB 53 now rests with Governor Newsom, who has not commented publicly on the bill. If signed into law, it would take effect in January 2024.
*Reporting by Techcrunch.*
