{"id":196584,"date":"2025-10-01T20:00:00","date_gmt":"2025-10-01T20:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/entertainment.runfyers.com\/index.php\/2025\/10\/01\/californias-new-ai-safety-law-shows-regulation-and-innovation-dont-have-to-clash-techcrunch\/"},"modified":"2025-10-01T20:00:00","modified_gmt":"2025-10-01T20:00:00","slug":"californias-new-ai-safety-law-shows-regulation-and-innovation-dont-have-to-clash-techcrunch","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/entertainment.runfyers.com\/index.php\/2025\/10\/01\/californias-new-ai-safety-law-shows-regulation-and-innovation-dont-have-to-clash-techcrunch\/","title":{"rendered":"California\u2019s new AI safety law shows regulation and innovation\u00a0don\u2019t\u00a0have to clash\u00a0 | TechCrunch"},"content":{"rendered":"<p> <br \/>\n<\/p>\n<div>\n<p id=\"speakable-summary\" class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">SB 53, the AI\u00a0safety\u00a0and transparency\u00a0bill\u00a0that California\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/techcrunch.com\/2025\/09\/29\/california-governor-newsom-signs-landmark-ai-safety-bill-sb-53\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Gov. Gavin Newsom signed into law this week<\/a>, is proof that state regulation\u00a0doesn\u2019t\u00a0have to hinder AI progress.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">So says\u00a0Adam Billen, vice president of public policy at youth-led advocacy group Encode AI,\u00a0on today\u2019s episode of Equity.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>\n\t<iframe loading=\"lazy\" class=\"tcembed-iframe tcembed--megaphone wp-block-tc23-podcast-player__embed\" height=\"200px\" width=\"100%\" frameborder=\"no\" scrolling=\"no\" seamless=\"\" src=\"https:\/\/playlist.megaphone.fm\/?e=TCML7290057010\"><\/iframe>\n\t<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cThe reality is that policy makers themselves know that we have to do something, and they know from working on a million other issues that there is a way to pass legislation that genuinely does protect innovation\u00a0\u2014\u00a0which I do care about\u00a0\u2014\u00a0while making sure that these products are safe,\u201d Billen told TechCrunch.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">At its core,\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/techcrunch.com\/2025\/09\/23\/scott-wiener-on-his-fight-to-make-big-tech-disclose-ais-dangers\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">SB\u00a053 is a\u00a0first-in-the-nation bill<\/a>\u00a0that\u00a0requires large AI labs to be transparent about their safety and security protocols\u00a0\u2014 specifically around how they prevent their models from catastrophic risks, like being used to commit\u00a0cyberattacks\u00a0on critical infrastructure or build\u00a0bio-weapons.\u00a0The law also mandates that companies stick to those protocols, which will be enforced by the Office of Emergency Services.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cCompanies are already doing the stuff that we ask them to do in this bill,\u201d Billen\u00a0told TechCrunch. \u201cThey do safety testing on their models. They release model cards. Are they starting to skimp in some areas at some companies? Yes. And that\u2019s why bills like this are important.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Billen also noted that\u00a0some AI firms have a policy around relaxing safety standards under competitive pressure. OpenAI, for example, has\u00a0publicly stated\u00a0that it\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/techcrunch.com\/2025\/04\/15\/openai-says-it-may-adjust-its-safety-requirements-if-a-rival-lab-releases-high-risk-ai\/#:~:text=OpenAI%20has%20updated%20its%20Preparedness,blog%20post%20published%20Tuesday%20afternoon.\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">may \u201cadjust\u201d its safety requirements<\/a>\u00a0if a rival AI lab releases a high-risk system without similar safeguards.\u00a0Billen argues that policy can enforce companies\u2019 existing safety promises, preventing them from cutting corners under competitive or financial pressure.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">While public opposition to SB 53 was muted in\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/techcrunch.com\/2025\/01\/01\/2024-the-year-silicon-valley-stifled-the-ai-doom-movement\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">comparison to its predecessor SB 1047<\/a>, which\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/techcrunch.com\/2024\/09\/29\/gov-newsom-vetoes-californias-controversial-ai-bill-sb-1047\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Newsom vetoed last year<\/a>, the rhetoric in Silicon Valley and among most AI labs has been that almost any\u00a0AI\u00a0regulation is anathema to progress and will\u00a0ultimately hinder\u00a0the U.S. in its race to beat China.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n<div class=\"wp-block-techcrunch-inline-cta\">\n<div class=\"inline-cta__wrapper\">\n<p>Techcrunch event<\/p>\n<div class=\"inline-cta__content\">\n<p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"inline-cta__location\">San Francisco<\/span><br \/>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"inline-cta__separator\">|<\/span><br \/>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"inline-cta__date\">October 27-29, 2025<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">It\u2019s why companies like Meta, VCs like Andreessen Horowitz, and powerful individuals like OpenAI president Greg Brockman are collectively pumping hundreds of millions into super PACs to back pro-AI politicians in state elections. And\u00a0it\u2019s\u00a0why those same forces earlier this year pushed for an\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/techcrunch.com\/2025\/06\/30\/congress-might-block-state-ai-laws-for-five-years-heres-what-it-means\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">AI moratorium<\/a>\u00a0that would have banned states from regulating AI for 10 years.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Encode AI ran a coalition of more than 200 organizations to work to\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/techcrunch.com\/2025\/07\/01\/us-senate-removes-controversial-ai-moratorium-from-budget-bill\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">strike down the proposal<\/a>, but Billen says the fight\u00a0isn\u2019t\u00a0over. Senator Ted Cruz, who championed the moratorium, is\u00a0attempting\u00a0a new strategy to achieve the same goal of federal preemption of state laws. In September, Cruz introduced the\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.commerce.senate.gov\/2025\/9\/sen-cruz-unveils-ai-policy-framework-to-strengthen-american-ai-leadership\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener nofollow\">SANDBOX Act<\/a>, which would allow AI companies to apply for waivers to temporarily bypass certain federal regulations for up to 10 years. Billen also anticipates a forthcoming bill establishing a federal AI standard\u00a0that would be pitched as a middle-ground\u00a0solution but\u00a0would in reality\u00a0override state laws.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">He warned that narrowly scoped\u00a0federal AI legislation could \u201cdelete federalism for the most important technology of our time.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cIf you told me SB 53 was the bill that would replace all the state bills on everything related to AI and all of the potential risks, I would tell you that\u2019s probably not a very good idea and that this bill is designed for a particular subset of things,\u201d Billen said.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large is-resized\"><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\"><span class=\"wp-element-caption__text\">Adam Billen, vice president of public policy, Encode AI<\/span><span class=\"wp-block-image__credits\"><strong>Image Credits:<\/strong>Encode AI<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">While he agrees that the AI race with China matters, and that policymakers need to enact regulation that will support American progress, he says killing state bills\u00a0\u2014 which\u00a0mainly focus on deepfakes, transparency, algorithmic discrimination, children\u2019s safety, and governmental use of AI \u2014 isn\u2019t the way to go about doing that.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cAre bills like SB 53 the thing that will stop us from beating China? No,\u201d he said. \u201cI think it\u00a0is just genuinely intellectually dishonest to say that that is the thing that will stop us in the race.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">He added:\u00a0\u201cIf the thing you care about is beating China in the race on AI \u2014 and I do care about that \u2014 then the things you would push for are stuff like export controls in Congress,\u201d Billen said. \u201cYou would make sure that American companies have the\u00a0chips. But\u00a0that\u2019s\u00a0not what the industry is pushing for.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Legislative proposals like the\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.congress.gov\/bill\/119th-congress\/house-bill\/3447\/text\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener nofollow\">Chip Security Act<\/a>\u00a0aim to prevent the diversion of advanced AI chips to China through export controls and tracking devices, and the existing\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/techcrunch.com\/2022\/09\/22\/what-the-chips-and-science-act-means-for-the-future-of-the-semiconductor-industry\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">CHIPS and Science Act<\/a>\u00a0seeks\u00a0to boost domestic chip production. However, some major tech companies, including OpenAI and Nvidia, have expressed reluctance or\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/techcrunch.com\/2025\/08\/19\/nvidia-said-to-be-developing-new-more-powerful-ai-chip-for-sale-in-china\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">opposition<\/a>\u00a0to certain aspects of these efforts, citing concerns about <a href=\"https:\/\/www.cnbc.com\/2025\/08\/18\/openai-altman-china-ai.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener nofollow\">effectiveness<\/a>, competitiveness, and security vulnerabilities.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Nvidia has its reasons \u2014 it has a strong financial incentive to continue selling chips to China, which has <a href=\"https:\/\/www.fool.com\/research\/nvidia-amd-revenue-by-country\/#:~:text=United%20States,Singapore\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener nofollow\">historically<\/a>\u00a0represented\u00a0a significant portion\u00a0of its global revenue.\u00a0Billen\u00a0speculated\u00a0that OpenAI could hold back on chip export advocacy to stay in the good graces of crucial suppliers like Nvidia.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">There\u2019s\u00a0also been inconsistent messaging from\u00a0the Trump administration. Three months after expanding an <a href=\"https:\/\/techcrunch.com\/2025\/04\/15\/nvidia-h20-chip-exports-hit-with-license-requirement-by-us-government\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">export ban\u00a0on advanced AI chips to China<\/a>\u00a0in April 2025, the administration reversed course, allowing\u00a0Nvidia and AMD to sell some chips to China in\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/techcrunch.com\/2025\/08\/11\/nvidia-amd-may-sell-high-end-ai-chips-to-china-if-they-pay-us-a-cut\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">exchange for 15% of the revenue<\/a>.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cYou see people on the Hill moving towards bills like the Chip Security Act that would put export controls on China,\u201d Billen said. \u201cIn the meantime,\u00a0there\u2019s going to continue to be this propping up\u00a0of\u00a0the narrative to kill state bills that are\u00a0actually quite\u00a0light tough.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Billen\u00a0added\u00a0that SB 53 is an example of democracy in action \u2014 of industry and policymakers working together to get to a version of a bill that everyone can agree on.\u00a0It\u2019s\u00a0\u201cvery ugly and messy,\u201d but \u201cthat process of democracy and federalism is the entire foundation of our country and our economic system, and I hope that we will keep doing that successfully.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cI think SB 53 is one of the best proof points that that can still work,\u201d he said.\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p><br \/>\n<br \/><a href=\"https:\/\/techcrunch.com\/2025\/10\/01\/californias-new-ai-safety-law-shows-regulation-and-innovation-dont-have-to-clash\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Source link <\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>SB 53, the AI\u00a0safety\u00a0and transparency\u00a0bill\u00a0that California\u00a0Gov. Gavin Newsom signed into law this week, is proof that state regulation\u00a0doesn\u2019t\u00a0have to hinder AI progress.\u00a0\u00a0 So says\u00a0Adam Billen, vice president of public policy at youth-led advocacy group Encode AI,\u00a0on today\u2019s episode of Equity.\u00a0 \u201cThe reality is that policy makers themselves know that we have to do something, and [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":196585,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[14],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-196584","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-tech"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/entertainment.runfyers.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/196584","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/entertainment.runfyers.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/entertainment.runfyers.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/entertainment.runfyers.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/entertainment.runfyers.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=196584"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/entertainment.runfyers.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/196584\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/entertainment.runfyers.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/196585"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/entertainment.runfyers.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=196584"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/entertainment.runfyers.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=196584"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/entertainment.runfyers.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=196584"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}