Lawmakers and advocates in California have proposed numerous bills to regulate artificial intelligence (AI) this year, but one bill in particular, the Safe and Secure Innovation for Frontier Artificial Intelligence Models Act (Senate Bill 1047), has faced significant opposition from big tech companies, startup founders, and investors. Companies like Meta and Google argue that the bill would hinder AI innovation in the state and make California an unfavorable jurisdiction for AI development. On the other hand, prominent AI researchers like Yoshua Bengio and Geoffrey Hinton have expressed their support for the bill, while others, like Fei-Fei Li, have voiced their opposition. SB 1047, which was approved by the state Senate in May, encompasses various provisions, including the requirement for developers of costly and powerful AI tools to test whether they can enable attacks on public infrastructure or contribute to the creation of weapons. The bill also establishes a public "cloud" computing platform called CalCompute to encourage the equitable development and safe deployment of AI models. Additionally, it includes whistleblower protections for employees and contractors working on advanced AI. The expansion of whistleblower protections in SB 1047 was driven by the concerns of tech workers who felt muzzled by non-disclosure agreements and the need for increased transparency and accountability in AI development.

The bill would give employees the right to report potentially harmful AI models to government agencies and prevent employers from blocking the disclosure of related information. Opponents of the bill, primarily big tech companies, have raised concerns about its AI testing requirements and other safety provisions, arguing that compliance costs could negatively impact startups and small businesses. They also warn that the legislation could restrict the release of AI models as open-source software, which has played a crucial role in the development and spread of AI. Supporters of the bill, however, argue that it primarily applies to major AI labs and will not affect the vast majority of startups. The future of SB 1047 lies in its ability to pass the Assembly Appropriations suspense file on Thursday and gain final approval by August 31 to reach Governor Gavin Newsom's desk this year. While opinions on the bill vary, its intent is to protect tech workers, encourage responsible AI development, and ensure the safe deployment of AI models.