California governor Gavin Newsom will consider whether to sign into law or veto a controversial artificial intelligence bill proposing to enforce strict regulations on technology companies after it cleared its final hurdle in the state legislature on Thursday.
Newsom, a Democrat, has until September 30 to issue his decision on the bill, which has divided Silicon Valley. It would force tech groups and start-ups developing AI models in the state to adhere to a strict safety framework. All of the largest AI start-ups, including OpenAI, Anthropic and Cohere, as well as Big Tech companies with AI models, would fall under its remit.
Newsom is likely to face intense lobbying from both sides. Some of the largest technology and AI companies in the state, including Google, Meta and OpenAI, have expressed concerns about the bill in recent weeks, while others, such as Amazon-backed Anthropic and Elon Musk, who owns AI start-up xAI, have voiced their support.