The election that will shape the future of AI

Whether they fully appreciate it or not, Californians will be deciding on the future of global AI regulation when they head to the voting booths on June 1. AI is a hot button issue across the world, but much of the national and international policy governing the technology still begins in California, where the most advanced AI labs are headquartered. And in a fiercely competitive race for governor, the winner will play an outsized role in shaping new regulation. So, how might the election shake out for AI regulation? The three candidates leading in the polls, Democrats Xavier Becerra and Tom Steyer, as well as Republican Steve Hilton, each have meaningful policy disagreements on the issue of AI. Becerra’s policy program includes ideas like trying to expand AI literacy and supporting workforce investment, with guardrails that are built with the help of the tech industry they are meant to govern. Steyer appears willing to take on Big Tech more aggressively. He has endorsed a wealth tax that Silicon Valley hates; he wants a jobs guarantee; and he wants specific separate taxes on AI. Hilton could attract the support of some tech titans; he has said he wants to make California the “crypto capital of the world” and keep California the “AI capital of the world,” while pushing for regulations around child safety and fraud and impersonation.