From Newsgroup: comp.ai.philosophy

California Gov. Gavin Newsom on Sunday vetoed a landmark artificial intelligence bill that was designed to have first-in-the-nation safety regulations against AI misuse.

The big picture: Backers of the bill that would've required AI
developers to comply with certain rules before developing models had
argued it would provide safety with workable provisions at a time when Congress has stalled on the matter and the EU has taken a lead in
regulating the sector.

The bill had divided the tech industry. The likes of Google, Meta and
OpenAI opposed it amid concerns that it might hamper innovation and
Anthropic and Elon Musk cautiously supported it.

Driving the news: Newsom said in returning Senate Bill 1047 without his signature that while SB 1047 was "well-intentioned," it didn't take into account "whether an AI system is deployed in high-risk environments,
involves critical decision-making or the use of sensitive data."

Instead, he said "the bill applies stringent standards to even the most
basic functions — so long as a large system deploys it. I do not believe this is the best approach to protecting the public from real threats
posed by the technology."
What we're watching: Newsom said in an emailed statement announcing his
veto that he's working with the "godmother of AI," Fei-Fei Li and other leading researchers and industry leaders on California's efforts "to
develop responsible guardrails for the deployment" of generative AI.

This will focus on "developing an empirical, science-based trajectory
analysis of frontier models and their capabilities and attendant risks,"
per Newsom, who said he'll "continue to work with the Legislature on
this critical matter during its next session."
What they're saying: Google in an emailed statement Sunday thanked
Newsom "for helping California continue to lead in building responsible
AI tools" and said it looked forward to "working with the Governor's responsible AI initiative and the federal government on creating
appropriate safeguards and developing tools that help everyone."

OpenAI said in an emailed statement Sunday that the company appreciated Newsom's "commitment to maintaining California's role as a global leader
in AI innovation, and look forward to working with him and state
lawmakers in well-defined areas of public interest such as deepfakes,
child safety, and AI literacy."
Former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) said on X Sunday that "AI
springs from California" as she thanked Newsom "for recognizing the opportunity and responsibility we all share to enable small
entrepreneurs and academia — not big tech — to dominate."
The other side: Scott Wiener, a state senator from San Francisco who
authored the bill in California's Senate, said in a statement Sunday the
veto represented a "missed opportunity for California to once again lead
on innovative tech regulation — just as we did around data privacy and
net neutrality — and we are all less safe as a result."

Nonprofit Accountable Tech in an emailed statement Sunday called
Newsom's veto "a massive giveaway to Big Tech companies and an affront
to all Americans who are currently the unconsenting guinea pigs of an unregulated and untested" AI industry.
"This veto will not 'empower innovation' — it only further entrenches
the status quo where Big Tech monopolies are allowed to rake in profits without regard for our safety, even as their AI tools are already
threatening democracy, civil rights, and the environment with unknown potential for other catastrophic harms," it added.
Editor's note: This article has been updated with more details from
California Gov. Gavin Newsom's announcement. Axios' Ina Fried
contributed reporting.

https://www.axios.com/2024/09/30/california-ai-safety-bill-governor-newsom-veto


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