California's AI kill switch mandate stays vetoed
Newsom's 2024 veto of a bill requiring AI kill switches remains the state's most recent action on the issue, according to The Lever and eMarketer.
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California Governor Gavin Newsom has not signed any new measure requiring artificial intelligence developers to build a kill switch into their systems. The state's most recent action on the issue is a veto: in 2024 Newsom rejected SB 1047, a bill that would have made kill switches mandatory for AI developers and required pre-release testing of their models, according to The Lever and eMarketer.
Newsom has taken other AI-related action this year. In May, he signed a separate executive order directing state agencies to help workers and businesses prepare for disruption from AI, according to the governor's official website. That order did not touch on kill switch requirements or model testing.
California's continued attention to AI safety, from the 2024 veto to the May order on workforce disruption, keeps pressure on technology firms that operate in the state. But without a mandatory kill switch rule in place, the scope and enforcement power of any future measure remain undefined, leaving its effect on markets unclear.