California has passed a recent bill, SB-1047, seen as one of the first major legislative steps aimed at regulating the development of advanced AI systems, often referred to as “frontier” AI models.
It obligates AI developers to shut down malfunctioning systems or have “kill switches”, gives the state the authority to hold the developers legally responsible for any malfunctioning or failure to comply. Among other things it enforces third-party audits to verify safety protocols and strengthens protections for whistleblowers reporting AI misuse.
The bill has drawn mixed reactions from the tech industry, with Elon Musk and Amazon backed Anthropic backing it, while critics raise concerns that it could stifle innovation and create excessive burden on smaller developers.
If passed this bill would require providers to disclose when AI is used for patient communication and organizations to test models for any bias and provide a structure on how the developers may be held liable for harm
Governor Gavin Newsom has until September 30 to either sign the bill into law or veto it.
