California Lawmakers Pass AI Safety Bill SB 53, But Governor Newsom's Veto Decision Looms Large
In a significant move towards regulating the rapidly growing artificial intelligence industry, California lawmakers have passed a major AI safety bill, SB 53, which requires large AI labs to be transparent about their safety protocols and creates whistleblower protections for employees. The bill now awaits the signature or veto of Governor Gavin Newsom, who has previously expressed concerns about stringent regulations on AI companies.
According to TechCrunch, the state senate gave final approval early on Saturday morning to SB 53, which sets new transparency requirements on large companies. As described by its author, state senator Scott Wiener, the bill requires large AI labs to be transparent about their safety protocols, creates whistleblower protections for employees at AI labs, and creates a public cloud to expand compute access (CalCompute). The bill's passage marks a significant step towards addressing concerns about the safety and accountability of AI development.
The bill now goes to Governor Newsom to sign or veto. He has not commented publicly on SB 53, but last year, he vetoed a more expansive safety bill also authored by Wiener, while signing narrower legislation targeting issues like deepfakes. At the time, Newsom acknowledged the importance of protecting the public from real threats posed by this technology, but criticized the broader bill as too restrictive.
According to TechCrunch, SB 53 would establish a public cloud computing system (CalCompute) and impose varying levels of transparency requirements on companies based on their annual revenue. Those above $500 million would be required to provide more detailed safety reports. This move is seen as an effort to balance the need for regulation with the need to encourage innovation in the AI industry.
Senator Wiener, who authored the bill, expressed optimism about its passage and potential impact. "This bill takes a crucial step towards ensuring that AI development is transparent, accountable, and safe," he said in a statement. "We must ensure that the benefits of AI are available to all Californians, while also protecting them from its risks."
The passage of SB 53 comes as concerns about AI safety and accountability continue to grow. In recent years, there have been high-profile incidents involving AI systems, including self-driving cars and facial recognition technology. These incidents have highlighted the need for greater transparency and accountability in AI development.
As the bill awaits Newsom's signature or veto, experts are weighing in on its potential impact. "This is a significant step towards regulating the AI industry," said Dr. Kate Crawford, a leading expert on AI ethics. "But it's just one piece of a larger puzzle. We need to see more comprehensive regulation and oversight to ensure that AI development is safe and responsible."
The fate of SB 53 now rests with Governor Newsom, who has until September 30th to sign or veto the bill. If signed into law, SB 53 would take effect on January 1st, 2024.
This story was compiled from reports by TechCrunch and TechCrunch.
