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 would shake up Silicon Valley.
California state Senator Scott Wiener launched a brand new invoice on Friday that might defend workers at main AI labs, permitting them to talk out in the event that they suppose their firm’s AI methods may very well be a “vital threat” to society. The brand new invoice, SB 53, would additionally create a public cloud computing cluster, referred to as CalCompute, to offer 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 full of life debate throughout the nation round how you can deal with large AI methods that would trigger disasters. SB 1047 aimed to forestall the potential of very giant AI fashions creating catastrophic occasions, comparable to inflicting lack of life or cyberattacks costing greater than $500 million in damages. Nevertheless, Governor Gavin Newsom finally vetoed the invoice in September, saying SB 1047 was not the most effective method.
However the debate over SB 1047 shortly turned ugly. Some Silicon Valley leaders mentioned SB 1047 would damage America’s aggressive edge within the international AI race, and claimed the invoice was impressed by unrealistic fears that AI methods may 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 specialists argued was deceptive.
SB 53 basically takes the least controversial elements of SB 1047 – comparable to whistleblower protections and the institution of a CalCompute cluster – and repackages them into a brand new AI invoice.
Notably, Wiener shouldn’t be shying away from existential AI threat in SB 53. The brand new invoice particularly protects whistleblowers who consider their employers are creating AI methods that pose a “vital threat.” The invoice defines vital 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 demise of, or severe damage to, greater than 100 folks, or greater than $1 billion in injury 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 workers who disclose regarding info to California’s Legal professional Normal, federal authorities, or different workers. Underneath the invoice, these builders can 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 encompass College of California representatives, in addition to different private and non-private researchers. It could make suggestions for how you can construct CalCompute, how giant the cluster must be, and which customers and organizations ought to have entry to it.
After all, 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.
Nevertheless, 2025 could also be a harder 12 months to move 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 shouldn’t be keen on AI security, however moderately prioritizes AI innovation. Whereas the CalCompute cluster established by SB 53 may absolutely be seen as advancing AI progress, it’s unclear how legislative efforts round existential AI threat will fare in 2025.
