In a significant development for artificial intelligence policy, California Governor Gavin Newsom has released a comprehensive new report addressing the safe and ethical use of AI technologies. The announcement, reported by the Governor's office, comes amidst moves by President Trump to override state-level regulations, which threaten to undermine protections against AI-generated criminal activities.
The report, titled "The California Report on Frontier AI Policy," is the outcome of an initiative started last September by Governor Newsom to create empirical, science-based policy frameworks for AI. According to the Governor's statement, "California is the home of innovation and technology that is driving the nation’s economic growth — including the emerging AI industry. As Donald Trump chooses to take our nation back to the past by dismantling laws protecting public safety, California will continue to lead the way with smart and effective policymaking." This stance is a direct counter to President Trump's spending bill, intended to place a 10-year moratorium on state AI laws, which, Newsom argues, would weaken the protections against misuse of AI technologies.
Roping in top experts, the report seeks to guide California in navigating the complex landscape of AI deployment and its inherent risks. Among the notable contributors to the document are Dr. Fei-Fei Li of Stanford University and Mariano-Florentino "Tino" Cuéllar, President of the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace. They and other leading academics have recommended policies that are grounded in evidence and provide a balanced approach between transparency and security.
Public engagement played a significant role in crafting the report, with feedback from the released draft in March being incorporated into the final version. The Governor's office emphasized that the participation of citizens was crucial for shaping policies that align with the public interest. California, being a hub for technological innovation and housing many pioneering AI companies, positions itself as an influential player on the global stage, and as such, the state's policies are expected to have widespread implications.
To complement the policy framework, California has embarked on various AI-related initiatives. In 2023, an executive order set forth guidelines for state procurement of generative AI. The state has also partnered with NVIDIA in a venture to train the workforce and harness AI for social good. Additionally, last year saw the introduction of legislation targeted at combating malicious AI activities such as sexually explicit deepfakes and AI-generated robocall scams.
