Governor Gavin Newsom vetoed an AI security bill opposed by Silicon Valley

Gov. Gavin Newsom on Sunday vetoed SB 1047, the Artificial Intelligence Security Act, which would have required developers of advanced artificial intelligence models to create protocols aimed at preventing disasters.

A bill introduced by Sen. Scott Wiener (D-San Francisco) would require developers to submit security plans to the state’s attorney general, who could hold them liable if the artificial intelligence models they directly control cause harm or imminent threats to people. public safety.

Additionally, the regulations would require tech companies to be able to turn off the artificial intelligence models they directly control if something goes wrong.

In his veto, Newsom said the legislation could give the public a “false sense of security in controlling this rapidly evolving technology” because it only applies to expensive, large-scale artificial intelligence models, not smaller, specialized systems.

“While well-intentioned, SB 1047 does not take into account whether an AI system is deployed in high-risk environments, involves critical decision-making, or uses sensitive data,” Newsom’s veto said. “Instead, the Act applies rigorous standards to even the most basic functions – provided it is implemented in a large system. I don’t think this is the best approach to protecting society from the real threats this technology poses.

On Sunday, the governor also announced that his administration has tapped leaders in the field to help the state create effective safeguards for AI deployment, focusing on analyzing its capabilities and threats. Newsom promised to continue working with the Legislature on the issue next session.

Read more:AI Security Act passed by the California State Legislature

The bill was hotly debated in Silicon Valley with support from the AI ​​Security Center, SpaceX CEO Elon Musk, the LA Times editorial board and prominent artificial intelligence researchers, but was opposed by Facebook’s parent company Meta, ChatGPT creator OpenAI and several Democratic congressmen including Nancy Pelosi ( D-San Francisco).

Supporters said it was important to establish barriers to rapidly developing artificial intelligence technology to prevent future catastrophic harm, while opponents said such measures could stifle innovation.

While it is possible for the bill to overcome a governor’s veto with a two-thirds vote of both chambers, that is a major hurdle to clear and would be unusual.

Wiener called Newsom’s veto a “missed opportunity” for California to lead on innovative technology regulation.

“This veto is a defeat for anyone who believes in oversight of massive corporations that make critical decisions that impact the safety and well-being of society and the future of the planet,” Wiener said in a statement posted on social media.

Newsom said earlier this month during a fireside chat at Dreamforce, a technology conference in San Francisco, that SB 1047 had generated an outsized public discourse, adding that it had “created its own weather system.”

He also talked about the challenges of regulating artificial intelligence.

“We have worked over the last several years to develop rational regulations that support risk-taking, but not recklessness…,” Newsom said.

Read more:Mark Hamill, Jane Fonda and JJ Abrams call on Governor Newsom to sign the Artificial Intelligence Security Act

Both supporters and opponents of SB 1047 joined forces to express their views. More than 125 actors, producers, directors, musical artists and other entertainment industry leaders, including prominent Democrats, signed a letter calling on Newsom to sign the bill. The letter’s signatories included actors Pedro Pascal and Alec Baldwin, as well as “Bridgerton” executive producer Shonda Rhimes.

“We want to continue to believe that you are a leader who will defend the good of all, not just a few Silicon Valley giants,” the letter said.

Meanwhile, the Chamber of Progress, which opposes the bill, released a rock song generated by artificial intelligence, the lyrics of which include, among others: “Veto the chains that hold us.”

“This is one of those bills that rarely reaches your desk, and its viability depends on who was the last person on the call,” Newsom said in an interview with the Los Angeles Times earlier this month. “It divides so many people.”

Read more:California lawmakers are trying to regulate artificial intelligence before it’s too late. Here’s how to do it

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This story originally appeared in the Los Angeles Times.