Press Release

Assembly Advances SB1047 Positioning California as the Leader in AI Safety

08. 28. 2024

Sacramento, CA – Today, legislators voted to pass SB 1047 (Wiener) out of the Assembly. The bill advances to the Senate for concurrence, then will head to Governor Newsom’s desk. Governor Newsom has until September 30 to sign the bill, which would be a historic moment for responsible tech and harnessing AI for the public good. Teri Olle, Director of Economic Security California Action, a co-sponsor of the legislation, issued the following statement:

“For decades, Big Tech has run roughshod over safety and put profits over the public interest. Today that changes: the Assembly’s passage of SB 1047 is a watershed moment for responsible tech and innovation in California. SB 1047 establishes crucial safety guardrails and democratizes access to AI development through CalCompute, a new public cloud computing infrastructure. This groundbreaking legislation ensures the public can help decide how AI benefits society as a whole.  

California is poised to lead the nation in AI innovation, and now, can lead in AI governance, too. SB 1047 responds to widespread public concerns about the future of AI with common-sense safety guardrails that will not hamper progress. In fact, the bill’s emphasis on accessibility and the creation of a public option for AI development will help cement California’s leadership in tech for generations to come. 

Governor Newsom should sign SB 1047 into law to make sure a handful of Big Tech CEOs and their investors are not able to use their wealth, power, and influence, to decide what’s safe and beneficial for millions of Americans. Newsom can make California a global leader in AI safety and innovation, and we look forward to him signing this bill.”