Overview of the AI Safety Bill

A first-of-its-kind AI bill is winding its way through California, causing infighting between groups of AI pioneers. The AI safety bill, SB 1047, would put more responsibility on any developer spending more than $100 million to build an AI model.

Key Requirements

The requirements include safety testing, implementing safeguards, and allowing the state attorney general to take action against the developer of any AI model that causes “severe harm,” such as mass casualties or incidents causing $500 million or more in damages.

Third-Party Audits and Whistleblower Protections

Companies must agree to third-party audits and implement a kill switch that can turn off the technology at any time. The bill also proposes protections for whistleblowers.

Political Reactions

California state Senator Scott Wiener, co-author of the bill, accused some opponents of “fearmongering” to try and stop the state legislation from being passed. He stated, “There’s been a lot of drama and dramatic statements and misstatements by some of the opposition.”

Current Status

The bill passed the state Senate and is scheduled for a vote in the State Assembly by the end of this week. If passed, it will go to Governor Gavin Newsom for signing.

Support from Industry Leaders

Wiener held a virtual press conference with supporters of the bill, including notable figures like Yoshua Bengio and Dan Hendrycks. He called SB 1047 “reasonable” and “light touch,” referencing Meta’s AI model Llama.

Elon Musk’s Support

On Monday night, Elon Musk expressed support for the bill, stating, “This is a tough call and will make some people upset, but, all things considered, I think California should probably pass the SB 1047 AI safety bill.”

Concerns from AI Companies

Last week, Anthropic wrote an open letter to Governor Newsom, showing cautious support for the amended bill. However, OpenAI’s chief strategy officer Jason Kwon expressed that AI regulations should be left for the federal government.

Opposition from Prominent Figures

Dr. Fei-Fei Li criticized the bill, stating it would have “unintended consequences” on innovation. Former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi also criticized the bill, calling it “well-intentioned but ill-informed.”

Conclusion

If passed and signed into law, SB 1047 could become the first real piece of AI regulation in the country, setting a precedent for future legislation.

Yasmin Khorram is a Senior Reporter at Yahoo Finance. Follow Yasmin on Twitter/X @YasminKhorram and on LinkedIn.