Signing the law could also help further distinguish Gov. Gavin Newsom from President Donald Trump, whose administration has worked to accelerate AI development. | Andres Kudacki/AP
“California has proven that we can establish regulations to protect our communities while also ensuring that the growing AI industry continues to thrive. This legislation strikes that balance,” Newsom said in a statement announcing the signing.
“AI is the new frontier in innovation, and California is not only here for it — but stands strong as a national leader by enacting the first-in-the-national frontier AI safety legislation that builds public trust as this emerging technology rapidly evolves.”
The measure, SB 53, requires some AI developers to publicly disclose their safety and security protocols. It also creates a way for companies and the public to report major safety incidents to the state. The law includes whistleblower protections for AI workers and lays the groundwork for a state-run cloud computing cluster dubbed CalCompute.
“With a technology as transformative as AI, we have a responsibility to support that innovation while putting in place commonsense guardrails to understand and reduce risk,” Wiener said in a statement. “With this law, California is stepping up, once again, as a global leader on both technology innovation and safety.”
Newsom last week had hinted he would sign the bill while speaking at an international panel event with former President Bill Clinton, on the sidelines of the U.N. General Assembly — illustrating how significant the measure could be, even beyond California’s borders.
Signing the law could also help further distinguish Newsom — a likely 2028 contender — from President Donald Trump, whose administration has worked to accelerate AI development as a way to beat China in the tech race.
Some of the bill’s provisions are a policy first anywhere in the world. For example, the law requires public disclosure of security plans and protocols, while the EU AI Act requires such measures to be privately sent to governments.