SACRAMENTO, Calif. — A California proposal to impose the nation’s first safety standards for high-performance AI models cleared a major hurdle in the state Assembly on Wednesday, overcoming fierce opposition from tech companies and leading Democrats in the California House of Representatives.
Senate Bill 1047, from San Francisco State Senator Scott Wiener, would require the largest AI models to certify safety tests before deployment, with the aim of protecting humans from potential dangers such as the creation of biological weapons. The bill has divided Silicon Valley, with top figures such as Elon Musk supporting the measure as a way to limit potential risks to the public, while opponents such as OpenAI argue that the requirements would place an unnecessary burden on developers, especially small startups.
Wiener has also faced strong opposition from Democrats in Congress who represent areas around Silicon Valley. San Francisco Bay Area Reps. Zoe Lofgren and Ro Khanna have voiced their displeasure, along with former Speaker Nancy Pelosi, in a major blow to Wiener, who plans to run for her seat after she retires. One of his closest allies, San Francisco Mayor London Breed, warned that the measure would undermine the city’s economy.
Lofgren, Khanna and Pelosi all suggested that California should leave AI regulation to the federal government, but a group of lawmakers from both parties said Monday they can’t wait for the gridlock in Washington to play out.
“If we don’t do it, Congress won’t act,” said Assemblymember Al Muratsuchi, a Los Angeles-area Democrat. “They’ve failed to act so far, and that’s why California needs to take the lead in taking the first step to regulate AI.”
Lofgren refuted that argument in an interview before the vote on Wednesday, saying Wiener and other lawmakers who have criticized Congress’ inaction “don’t know what they’re talking about.”
“A lot has happened and more is going to happen,” Lofgren said.
The House of Representatives approved the bill by a vote of 41 to 9, with many Democrats abstaining and Republicans voting in favor twice.
The bill now heads back to the Senate for approval of amendments before heading to Gov. Gavin Newsom’s desk. The tech-friendly governor has not publicly commented on the bill, but has previously expressed concerns about overregulation of the state’s own tech industry and has faced pressure from Silicon Valley to veto it.
Wiener told reporters after the Assembly vote that he is grateful for the broad support for a “very, very reasonable piece of pro-innovation, pro-safety legislation,” adding that he expects Newsom to seriously consider it.
“Newsom is a professional and he’s used to dealing with tough bills where he’s got a lot of pressure from both sides,” Wiener said. “And so I know the governor is very used to this and he’s going to do what he always does, which is look at the facts and make an informed decision.”
Jeremy B. White contributed to this report.
