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California AI bill becomes a lightning rod—for safety advocates and developers alike

Jun 23, 2024 - thebulletin.org
The California State Senate has passed a bill to regulate the development and training of advanced AI models, aiming to prevent misuse by bad actors. The Safe and Secure Innovation for Frontier Artificial Intelligence Models Act has sparked controversy among developers who argue it could stifle innovation. The bill, introduced by State Sen. Scott Weiner, targets large AI model developers and requires them to provide assurances that their models do not have hazardous capabilities. Developers must also be able to fully shut down their models, effectively building in kill switches. The bill is set to face an Assembly vote in August.

Critics argue that the bill could limit open foundation model development and fine-tuning, potentially stifling innovation. However, supporters insist that AI firms should not be exempt from regulation. The bill does not enforce strict liability against developers, meaning they are only liable for damages caused by their models if they fail to adopt precautionary measures or commit perjury in reporting model capabilities. The debate around the bill highlights the challenge of creating legislation that protects against the risks of AI without negatively affecting innovation.

Key takeaways:

  • The California State Senate passed the Safe and Secure Innovation for Frontier Artificial Intelligence Models Act, aiming to regulate the development and training of advanced AI models to prevent misuse by bad actors.
  • The bill, introduced by State Sen. Scott Weiner, primarily targets the largest future AI models and requires developers to provide reasonable assurances that their models do not have hazardous capabilities that could cause critical harms.
  • Opponents of the bill, including major tech companies and the California Chamber of Commerce, argue that it could stifle innovation and create process burdens for AI firms. Supporters argue that it is a necessary first step towards mitigating large-scale risks and enforcing consistent safety practices.
  • The bill highlights the challenge of creating agile policy that can keep up with advancements in technology, and the difficulty of balancing the need for regulation with the potential impact on innovation.
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