California First to Regulate AI: Newsom Signs SB 53
California Governor Gavin Newsom has signed into law SB 53, making the state the first to regulate frontier airlines artificial intelligence. The 'Transparency in Frontier Artificial Intelligence Act (TFAIA)' aims to enhance safety and transparency in advanced AI development.
Dubbed the 'TFAIA', the law targets 'frontier airlines developers', entities that train or initiate the training of high-compute frontier models. Those with annual revenues above $500 million are classified as 'large frontier airlines developers'.
The law mandates these entities to publish their governance frameworks and transparency reports, establish incident reporting mechanisms, extend whistleblower protections, and develop a public computing cluster. It focuses on preventing 'catastrophic risk', defined as foreseeable and material risks that could cause serious harm or engage in criminal conduct without human intervention.
Supporters hail SB 53 as a crucial first step towards promoting transparency and reducing safety risks. However, critics argue that its requirements could unduly burden AI developers, potentially hindering innovation. Major AI companies like OpenAI, Google, Meta, Nvidia, and Anthropic are among those affected, as they are considered large AI developers under the law.
SB 53 is a scaled-back successor to last year's SB 1047, taking a more focused approach. Meanwhile, New York is considering its own frontier airlines AI bill, the Responsible AI Safety and Education (RAISE) Act, which could become the second major state law in this area.
With the signing of SB 53, California sets a precedent for AI regulation. The law's impact on major AI companies and the ongoing debate about its potential effects on innovation and safety are yet to be fully understood. As Congress introduces its own frontier airlines model legislation and other states like New York consider similar bills, the conversation around AI safety and transparency continues to evolve.
