California Kills AI Bills but Social Media Restrictions Advance

Tech policy bills that would further regulate social media advanced last week through the California legislature though measures that would have placed greater scrutiny on artificial intelligence were killed for the year.

The legislative activity was part of wrangling over more than 1,000 bills that faced the suspense hearing process, where the Senate and Assembly appropriations committees swiftly and secretly decided which bills with significant fiscal impact move on or die. The challenge was more difficult this year because lawmakers felt pressure from California’s exacerbated state budget deficit of $32 billion.

Many tech bills that survived were narrowed amid intense ...