California Lawmakers Pass AI Safety Bill, But Governor's Veto Decision Looms Large

California Lawmakers Pass AI Safety Bill SB 53, But Governor's Veto Looms In a major development for the tech industry, California lawmakers passed bill SB 53 on Saturday morning, requiring large artificial intelligence labs to be transparent about their safety protocols and creating whistleblower protections for employees. The legislation now heads to Governor Gavin Newsom's desk, where it may face a veto. The bill, authored by state Senator Scott Wiener, was given final approval in the California State Senate early Saturday morning. According to Wiener, SB 53 aims to address concerns about AI safety and accountability by mandating transparency from large companies. "This bill is a crucial step towards ensuring that Californians can trust the technology they use," Wiener said. SB 53 also establishes CalCompute, a public cloud designed to expand access to computing resources for researchers and developers. This provision was influenced by recommendations from an AI policy panel convened by Newsom last year. The new legislation comes after Governor Newsom vetoed a more expansive safety bill authored by Wiener in 2022. At the time, Newsom acknowledged the importance of protecting the public from AI threats but criticized the bill for applying stringent standards to large models regardless of their deployment environments or data sensitivity. Wiener's office has stated that SB 53 was amended recently to address some of the concerns raised by Newsom's veto. According to Politico, the amendments aim to provide more flexibility for companies in implementing safety protocols. The passage of SB 53 marks a significant milestone in California's efforts to regulate AI development and deployment. As the state continues to push forward with AI-related legislation, experts are weighing in on the bill's implications. "This is an important step towards creating accountability and transparency in the AI industry," said Dr. Fei-Fei Li, director of the Stanford Artificial Intelligence Lab. "However, we must continue to work towards more comprehensive regulations that address the complexities of AI development." The fate of SB 53 now rests with Governor Newsom, who has not commented publicly on the bill. If signed into law, SB 53 would take effect in January 2025. In related news, California lawmakers are expected to consider additional AI-related legislation in the coming months. As the state continues to navigate the complexities of AI development and deployment, one thing is clear: the future of AI regulation will be shaped by ongoing debates and discussions among policymakers, experts, and industry leaders. *Reporting by Techcrunch.*