California’s AI Bill Finds Unlikely Allies in Elon Musk and Vitalik Buterin, Bucking Silicon Valley Resistance

Key Takeaways

• Elon Musk and Vitalik Buterin have shown support for California’s AI bill.
• The bill would require AI models to feature a kill switch.
• OpenAI has spoken out against the California AI bill.

California’s controversial AI Bill has started to receive unlikely support from the likes of Elon Musk and Vitalik Buterin. 

The bill, known as SB 1047, made headlines last week as a large portion of Silicon Valley, including OpenAI, vehemently opposed it. 

What Would the AI Bill Do?

California’s SB 1047 bill requires companies building large AI models to significantly limit safety risks through regular testing. 

This includes companies inserting a “kill switch,” which could completely shut down an AI model in an emergency. 

As per the bill, a third-party auditor will also have to assess whether the company abides by the regulation every year.

The Attorney General’s office could issue penalties of up to $100,000 for repeat violations. 

Unlikely Support

On Monday, August 26, Tesla and SpaceX boss Musk publicly endorsed the AI bill, claiming he has advocated for AI regulation for over twenty years. 

Writing in a post on X, Musk said,

“This is a tough call and will make some people upset, but, all things considered, I think California should probably pass the SB 1047 AI safety bill.”

“For over 20 years, I have been an advocate for AI regulation, just as we regulate any product/technology that is a potential risk to the public.” He added. 

Ethereum’s founder, Vitalik Buterin, joined the discourse under Musk’s X post  to show his support of the bill. 

“The charitable read of the bill is that the (medium-term) goal is to mandate safety testing, so if during testing you discover world-threatening capabilities/behavior, you would not be allowed to release the model at all,” Buterin wrote.

In another post in the thread, Buterin said he liked how the bill introduced a “critical harm” category and “explicitly separates between that and other bad things.”

“Linguistic inflation cannot be stopped entirely, because it’s an outcome of basic game theory, but we need to compensate by re-creating the distinction between ‘really bad stuff’ and ‘medium-bad stuff’,” Buterin added. 

What Are the Bill’s Criticisms?

A large portion of Silicon Valley spoke out against California’s AI bill, claiming it was too heavy-handed and risked completely stifling innovation in the State. 

OpenAI claimed companies would leave California if the bill were passed and said AI regulation should be left to Congress. 

California State Senator Scott Wiener, who originally introduced  SB 1047 , quickly responded to the company, claiming it was a “highly reasonable bill“ that asked large AI labs “to do what they’ve already committed to doing.”

Wiener said that OpenAI’s claim that companies will leave California due to the bill “makes no sense given that SB 1047 is not limited to companies headquartered in California.”

Eight members of the US Congress urged California Governor Gavin Newsom to veto the bill last week because of its negative impact on AI companies. 

Nancy Pelosi, known in the US government as the “Godmother of AI,” also joined the opposition. 

“AI springs from California.  We must have legislation that is a model for the nation and the world.  We have the opportunity and responsibility to enable small entrepreneurs and academia – not big tech – to dominate,“ Pelosi said in a statement.  

About the Author

Kurt Robson

Kurt Robson is a London-based reporter at CCN with a diverse background across several prominent news outlets. Having transitioned into the world of technology journalism several years ago, Kurt has developed a keen fascination with all things AI. Kurt’s reporting blends a passion for innovation with a commitment to delivering insightful, accurate and engaging stories on the cutting edge of technology.

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