Governor Newsom's Veto of CA AI Legislation Is a Win for Innovation, But an Onslaught of State Bills Looms, Says ITIF
WASHINGTON—In response to California Governor Gavin Newsom's veto of S.B. 1047, a bill that would have introduced the most stringent AI regulations in the nation and imposed extensive compliance burdens on companies developing large-scale AI models, the Information Technology and Innovation Foundation (ITIF), the leading science and technology policy think tank, issued the following statement from Vice President Daniel Castro:
Governor Newsom's rejection of the proposed AI regulation bill is the right decision for California's digital economy. As the global epicenter of AI innovation, California has avoided a potentially devastating blow to its tech sector.
The bill's proposed safety measures lacked an evidence-based foundation and appeared disconnected from the rapidly evolving AI safety discussions in industry and academia. Rushing to regulate such a complex and dynamic field would have been a grave error, one that California has prudently chosen to avoid at this time.
Earlier this month, Governor Newsom signed legislation to address specific AI concerns, such as deepfakes and digital likeness. This type of targeted legislation is a more appropriate and effective approach than creating broad regulations for the underlying technology.
However, Governor Newson's suggestion that a "California-only approach may well be warranted" is misguided. The rules governing the AI economy should not be determined by any single state. These issues should be decided at the federal level by Congress. While California has avoided this pitfall today, it may not show the same restraint next time.
One of the most significant threats to U.S. leadership in AI is the potential emergence of a patchwork of conflicting state laws. Such a scenario would entangle U.S. AI firms in complex and costly regulations, impeding American innovation while global competitors, particularly China, advance unencumbered.
To safeguard America's AI leadership and forestall similar legislative fights, Congress should act promptly to preempt future state-level legislative action on AI.
ITIF’s Center for Data Innovation has written on how S.B. 1047 would hinder U.S. AI innovation, you can read that article here.
Contact: Nicole Hinojosa, [email protected]
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The Information Technology and Innovation Foundation (ITIF) is an independent, nonprofit, nonpartisan research and educational institute focusing on the intersection of technological innovation and public policy. Recognized by its peers in the think tank community as the global center of excellence for science and technology policy, ITIF’s mission is to formulate and promote policy solutions that accelerate innovation and boost productivity to spur growth, opportunity, and progress.
