Golden State Today

Governor Gavin Newsom has unveiled a series of initiatives aimed at safeguarding Californians from the rapid advancements in Generative AI (GenAI) technology. These measures include engaging leading experts to establish responsible guidelines for GenAI deployment and directing state agencies to assess risks associated with potential catastrophic events.

Over the past month, Governor Newsom signed 17 bills related to GenAI regulation, making it the most comprehensive legislative package on this subject in the United States. The new laws address issues such as deepfakes, AI watermarking, child protection, worker safety, and combating AI-generated misinformation.

“We have a responsibility to protect Californians from potentially catastrophic risks of GenAI deployment. We will thoughtfully — and swiftly — work toward a solution that is adaptable to this fast-moving technology and harnesses its potential to advance the public good,” said Governor Newsom.

The Governor has enlisted Dr. Fei-Fei Li, Tino Cuéllar, and Jennifer Tour Chayes to lead California's efforts in developing these guardrails. Dr. Li is Co-Director of Stanford's Institute for Human-Centered Artificial Intelligence; Cuéllar is President of the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace and a member of the National Academy of Sciences Committee on Social and Ethical Implications of Computing Research; Chayes is Dean of UC Berkeley's College of Computing, Data Science, and Society.

“Frontier AI brings the potential for enormous benefits as well as real risks that require sustained, careful judgment. I look forward to working with California to get the balance right in the days and months ahead,” commented Tino Cuéllar.

“I am honored to continue the partnership between UC Berkeley, Stanford and Governor Newsom... It is critical we nurture a robust innovation economy and foster academic research,” stated Jennifer Tour Chayes.

“Safe and responsible AI is essential for California’s vibrant innovation ecosystem... HAI looks forward to continued partnership with the State of California through Governor Newsom’s Executive Order on GenAI,” added Dr. Fei-Fei Li.

Additionally, Governor Newsom has directed Cal OES to expand their risk assessment work concerning threats posed by GenAI to critical infrastructure like energy and water systems. This directive builds on his previous executive order from September 2023.

In recent actions, Governor Newsom vetoed SB 1047 while signing other significant legislation such as SB 896 by Senator Bill Dodd (D-Napa). The latter requires Cal OES to perform risk analysis regarding GenAI threats to California’s critical infrastructure.

Governor Newsom remarked on SB 1047: “While well-intentioned, SB 1047 does not take into account whether an AI system is deployed in high-risk environments... I do not believe this is the best approach.”

California continues its leadership role in shaping ethical GenAI use while maintaining its status as a global hub for innovation in this field. The state hosts many top GenAI companies and institutions contributing significantly to research and development.

In collaboration with NVIDIA, California launched an AI initiative last month aiming at leveraging this technology for public benefit. A recent summit also discussed optimal uses of GenAI within state operations.

The new bills signed by Governor Newsom cover various aspects of GenAI application including privacy protection under CCPA (AB 1008), expanding child pornography statutes (AB 1831), requiring transparency about training data used by AI developers (AB 2013), among others.