Calif. State Senator Floats Plan to Regulate AI

The state senator behind California’s net neutrality law is seeking to develop AI safety rules. Sen. Scott Wiener (D) on Wednesday introduced SB-294, an “intent bill” that’s too late to move through the standard legislative process this year. “We will collect feedback and continue refining the proposal throughout the fall in preparation to move a fully developed policy through the legislative process in January,” said Wiener. SB-294 would require AI labs to rigorously test the most advanced models for safety risks and tell California about how they plan to respond to any risks found. A reviewing body would assess the disclosures and conduct audits as needed. The bill would establish liability for damages caused by foreseeable safety risks. Also, it would create CalCompute, a cloud-based computer cluster in the state’s public university system for use by AI researchers and small developers. Wiener’s bill follows Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom's executive order on AI (see 2309060037). “Large-scale AI presents a range of opportunities and challenges for California, and we need to get ahead of them and not play catch up when it may be too late,” said Wiener.