Gov. Gavin Newsom vetoes AI safety bill opposed by Silicon Valley

Gov. Gavin Newsom vetoes AI safety bill opposed by Silicon Valley
SAN FRANCISCO —

As a seasoned movie reviewer who has seen countless blockbusters and indie films, I can’t help but draw parallels between the world of cinema and the recent veto of SB 1047 by Gov. Newsom. Just as a director must strike a delicate balance between innovation and safety in the production of a film, so too must we find that equilibrium in the development and deployment of artificial intelligence (AI).


Governor Gavin Newsom declined to sign SB 1047 on Sunday, a proposed legislation concerning the safety of artificial intelligence. This bill would have imposed regulations requiring developers of sophisticated AI systems to establish precautions designed to avoid disasters.

Under this proposal, Senator Scott Wiener from San Francisco, is suggesting that developers should present their safety strategies for AI systems to the state’s attorney general. If any AI models under the developers’ direct control lead to harm or immediate risks to public safety, they could be held accountable by the attorney general.

Furthermore, the law would demand that technology companies possess the capability to deactivate their AI systems should any issues arise with them.

In his veto statement, Newsom expressed concern that the bill might mislead the public into thinking they can control advanced technology effectively. This is because the legislation focused on big and costly AI models, while ignoring smaller, more specialized systems.

In his veto message, Newsom expressed that SB 1047 fails to consider if an AI system is used in high-risk settings, makes crucial decisions, or handles sensitive data. Instead, he argued that the bill imposes strict regulations on even fundamental functions of large systems, regardless of their potential risks. He stated his belief that this approach is not optimal for safeguarding the public from technology-related threats.

On Sunday, the governor likewise declared that experts from various fields have been brought into his team to aid in developing practical safeguards for the use of Artificial Intelligence within our state. The emphasis is on assessing its potential and potential hazards. Governor Newsom reaffirmed his commitment to collaborate with the Legislature on this matter during the upcoming session.

In Silicon Valley, there was intense discussion about a particular bill. The Center for AI Safety, Elon Musk of SpaceX, the L.A. Times editorial board, and notable AI researchers voiced their approval for it. However, opposition came from Meta, the company that owns Facebook, OpenAI, the creator of ChatGPT, and several Democratic representatives from San Francisco, among them Nancy Pelosi.

Supporters emphasized the need to establish boundaries for rapidly developing artificial intelligence to avert potential disastrous consequences in the future, but critics argued that these limitations might hinder progress and inventiveness.

It’s quite challenging for the bill to pass the governor’s veto since it requires a two-thirds majority in both houses of the legislature. Such an outcome is uncommon.

Earlier this month, during a discussion at the Dreamforce tech conference in San Francisco, Newsom noted that Senate Bill 1047 had sparked extensive public debate. He further stated that the bill seemed to have generated its own “climate” or “atmosphere”.

He also spoke about the challenges in regulating AI.

For the past couple of years, we’ve been striving to establish sensible regulations that encourage calculated risks, but discourage careless or irresponsible behavior,” said Newsom.

Supporters and adversaries of SB 1047 collaborated to voice their opinions on the matter. Over a hundred influential figures from the entertainment industry, such as actors, producers, directors, and musicians, along with notable Democrats, penned a letter asking Governor Newsom to approve the bill. Notable signatories included Pedro Pascal, Alec Baldwin, and Shonda Rhimes, who serves as an executive producer on “Bridgerton.

The message in the letter is essentially this: “We’d like to maintain our faith that you’ll be an advocate for the overall welfare of all, rather than just catering to a select group of tech titans in Silicon Valley.

Simultaneously, the Chamber of Progress, who are against the bill, unveiled a computer-generated rock tune. The lyrics in this piece go, “Veto the shackles that weigh us down.

In a recent interview with the Times, Newsom stated that the bill in question doesn’t usually land on your desk often, and its acceptance largely depends on the persuasiveness of the last person you spoke to. This bill has caused significant division among many people.

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2024-09-30 00:01

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