AI startups combat California public safety bill

AI Startups Combat California Public Safety Bill

Silicon Valley AI entrepreneurs are ramping up their efforts to stop a California measure that would place first-in-the-nation public safety guardrails around advanced AI, saying it could stifle innovation within the sector.

The bill — which aims to mitigate catastrophic risks posed by future AI models for uses like weapons development or damage to critical infrastructure — awaits action from the Assembly, which has an Aug. 31 deadline to act. The measure cleared the California Senate last month, setting off a summer of intense jostling among supporters and opponents.

State Sen. Scott Wiener ...