California lawmakers pass AI safety bill [Video]

A bill aimed at regulating powerful artificial intelligence models passed California’s legislature on Wednesday, despite outcry that it could kill the technology it seeks to control.

“SB 1047 — our AI safety bill — just passed off the Assembly floor. I’m proud of the diverse coalition behind this bill — a coalition that deeply believes in both innovation and safety,” said Democratic state senator Scott Wiener of San Francisco, who sponsored the bill.

The bill had faced a barrage of critics, including Democratic members of US Congress, who argued that threats of punitive measures against developers in a nascent field would throttle innovation.

It did, however, win the reluctant support of Elon Musk, who argued that AI’s risk to the public justifies regulation.

“This is a tough call and will make some people upset,” he said on Monday as he stated his support on X.

The bill, called the Safe …