Los Angeles Times

California backs down on AI laws so more tech leaders don’t flee the state

California’s tech companies, the epicenter of the state’s economy, sent politicians a loud message: Back down from restrictive artificial intelligence regulation or they’ll leave. The tactic appeared to have worked, activists said, because some politicians weakened or scrapped guardrails to mitigate AI’s biggest risks. Gov. Gavin Newsom (D-CA) rejected a bill aimed at making companion chatbots safer for children after the tech industry fought it.

Gov Newsom signs AI transparency bill prioritizing safety

Gov. Gavin Newsom (D-CA) signed a bill that will create new transparency measures for large AI companies, including public disclosure of security protocols and reports of critical safety incidents. Sen. Scott Wiener (D-San Francisco) said Senate Bill 53 will create “commonsense guardrails” to ensure groundbreaking innovations don’t sacrifice safety and transparency amid the rapid growth of AI technologies.