California Governor Newsom signs landmark AI safety bill SB 53

California Gov. Gavin Newsom has Signed SB 53A first-in-the-nation bill that sets new transparency requirements to large AI companies.

SB 53, who adopted the state legislator two weeks ago, requires large AI Laboratories – including OpenAi, Anthropic, Meta and Google DeepMind – to be transparent about safety protocols. It also ensures whistleblower protection for employees at those companies.

In addition, SB 53 creates a mechanism for AI companies and the public to report potential critical safety incidents to the California’s Office or Emergency Services. Companies must also report incidents with regard to crimes committed without human supervision, such as cyber attacks, and deceptive behavior by a model that is not required under the EU AI Act.

The bill has received mixed reactions from the AI ​​industry. Technology companies have broadly argued that AI policy at state level runs the risk of creating a “patchwork of regulations” that would hinder innovation, although anthropically approved the bill. Meta and OpenAi lobbying against it. OpenAi even wrote and published an open letter to GOV. Newsom who discouraged his signing of SB 53.

The new account is because part of the technical elite of Silicon Valley has deposited hundreds of millions in Super PACs to support candidates who support a slight approach to AI regulation. In recent weeks, leaders at OpenAi and Meta have launched Pro-AI high PACs aimed at supporting candidates and accounts that are friendly to AI.

Yet other states can look at California for inspiration if they try to curb the potential damage caused by the unmistakable progress of such a powerful emerging technology. In New York, a similar bill was adopted by the state legislators and waiting for the signature or veto of GOV. Kathy Hochul.

“California has proven that we can establish regulations to protect our communities, while we also ensure that the growing AI industry continues to thrive,” Newsom said in a statement. “This legislation believes that balance. AI is the new border in innovation, and California is not only for but is strong as a national leader by introducing the first-in-the-nation border AI safety legislation that builds up the public as this emerging technology develops quickly.”

The governor also weighs another bill – SB 243 – that this month has accepted both the state meeting and the Senate with two -part support. The bill would regulate AI -guiding chatbots, which obliges operators to implement safety protocols and to keep them legally responsible if their bots do not meet those standards.

SB 53 is the second attempt by Senator Scott Wiener on an AI security account after Newsom had promised his more radical SB 1047 in the midst of large pushback from AI companies. With this account, Wiener reached for large AI companies Try to help them understand the changes he made to the account.