California has taken a significant step toward regulating artificial intelligence with Governor Gavin Newsom signing a new state law that will require major AI companies, many of which are headquartered in the state, to publicly disclose how they plan to mitigate the potentially catastrophic risks posed by advanced AI models.
The law also creates mechanisms for reporting critical safety incidents, extends whistleblower protections to AI company employees, and initiates the development of CalCompute, a government consortium tasked with creating a public computing cluster for safe, ethical, and sustainable AI research and innovation. By compelling companies, including OpenAI, Meta, Google DeepMind, and Anthropic, to follow these new rules at home, California may effectively set the standard for AI oversight.
Newsom framed the law as a balance between safeguarding the public and encouraging innovation. In a statement, he wrote: “California has proven that we can establish regulations to protect our communities while also ensuring that the growing AI industry continues to thrive. This legislation strikes that balance.”
The legislation, authored by State Sen. Scott Wiener, follows a failed attempt to pass a similar AI law last year. Wiener said that the new law, which was known by the shorthand SB 53 (for Senate Bill 53), focuses on transparency rather than liability, a departure from his prior SB 1047 bill, which Newsom vetoed last year.
“SB 53’s passage marks a notable win for California and the AI industry as a whole,” said Sunny Gandhi, VP of Political Affairs at Encode AI, a co-sponsor SB 53. “By establishing transparency and accountability measures for large-scale developers, SB 53 ensures that startups and innovators aren’t saddled with disproportionate burdens, while the most powerful models face appropriate oversight. This balanced approach sets the stage for a competitive, safe, and globally respected AI ecosystem.”
