The writer of California’s SB 1047, the nation’s most controversial AI security invoice of 2024, is again with a brand new AI invoice that might shake up Silicon Valley.
California state Senator Scott Wiener launched a brand new invoice on Friday that might defend staff at main AI labs, permitting them to talk out in the event that they assume their firm’s AI programs might be a “essential threat” to society. The brand new invoice, SB 53, would additionally create a public cloud computing cluster, referred to as CalCompute, to present researchers and startups the mandatory computing sources to develop AI that advantages the general public.
Wiener’s final AI invoice, California’s SB 1047, sparked a energetic debate throughout the nation round the way to deal with huge AI programs that might trigger disasters. SB 1047 aimed to stop the potential of very giant AI fashions creating catastrophic occasions, resembling inflicting lack of life or cyberattacks costing greater than $500 million in damages. Nonetheless, Governor Gavin Newsom finally vetoed the invoice in September, saying SB 1047 was not the most effective strategy.
However the debate over SB 1047 rapidly turned ugly. Some Silicon Valley leaders stated SB 1047 would damage America’s aggressive edge within the world AI race, and claimed the invoice was impressed by unrealistic fears that AI programs might result in science fiction-like doomsday eventualities. In the meantime, Senator Wiener alleged that some enterprise capitalists engaged in a “propaganda marketing campaign” in opposition to his invoice, pointing partly to Y Combinator’s declare that SB 1047 would ship startup founders to jail, a declare consultants argued was deceptive.
SB 53 primarily takes the least controversial components of SB 1047 – resembling whistleblower protections and the institution of a CalCompute cluster – and repackages them into a brand new AI invoice.
Notably, Wiener just isn’t shying away from existential AI threat in SB 53. The brand new invoice particularly protects whistleblowers who consider their employers are creating AI programs that pose a “essential threat.” The invoice defines essential threat as a “foreseeable or materials threat {that a} developer’s growth, storage, or deployment of a basis mannequin, as outlined, will end result within the dying of, or critical harm to, greater than 100 individuals, or greater than $1 billion in harm to rights in cash or property.”
SB 53 limits frontier AI mannequin builders – probably together with OpenAI, Anthropic, and xAI, amongst others – from retaliating in opposition to staff who disclose regarding info to California’s Legal professional Basic, federal authorities, or different staff. Below the invoice, these builders could be required to report again to whistleblowers on sure inner processes the whistleblowers discover regarding.
As for CalCompute, SB 53 would set up a gaggle to construct out a public cloud computing cluster. The group would include College of California representatives, in addition to different private and non-private researchers. It might make suggestions for the way to construct CalCompute, how giant the cluster needs to be, and which customers and organizations ought to have entry to it.
In fact, it’s very early within the legislative course of for SB 53. The invoice must be reviewed and handed by California’s legislative our bodies earlier than it reaches Governor Newsom’s desk. State lawmakers will certainly be ready for Silicon Valley’s response to SB 53.
Nonetheless, 2025 could also be a harder yr to cross AI security payments in comparison with 2024. California handed 18 AI-related payments in 2024, however now it appears as if the AI doom motion has misplaced floor.
Vice President J.D. Vance signaled on the Paris AI Motion Summit that America just isn’t curious about AI security, however reasonably prioritizes AI innovation. Whereas the CalCompute cluster established by SB 53 might absolutely be seen as advancing AI progress, it’s unclear how legislative efforts round existential AI threat will fare in 2025.
