Today, the California General Assembly passed the Safe and Secure Innovation for Frontier Artificial Intelligence Models Act (SB 1047) — a landmark bill that would require AI developers to adhere to common sense safety guidelines for new AI models. The legislation, which is sponsored by California State Senator Scott Wiener, would introduce crucial guardrails around AI development, including requiring pre-deployment safety testing and third-party auditing. The bill will head back to the State Senate for a confirmation vote and then to Governor Gavin Newsom’s desk.

Accountable Tech Co-Founder and Executive Director Nicole Gill released the following statement:

“Today, lawmakers in California are once again leading the nation on tech safety with the passage of SB 1047. This bill marks a significant move toward safer AI development and is particularly urgent absent federal regulation.

“In the last year we’ve seen an explosion of rapidly deployed AI models that supercharge the spread of disinformation and harmful content. While Big Tech companies have made empty pledges to protect our elections, their AI products are continuously used to develop deceptive deepfakes, impersonate political candidates, and create disinformation that undermines faith in our democratic institutions. We can’t afford to keep betting our safety – and democracy – on voluntary commitments.

“SB 1047 will finally force Big Tech developers to prioritize our safety over their race for profits. We urge Governor Newsom to sign the bill immediately and urge Congress to follow California’s lead with bold, decisive action to ensure responsible AI development.”

Background on Accountable Tech’s work to rein in AI:

• Ahead of the Assembly’s final vote, Accountable Tech launched a campaign encouraging California residents to call their Assemblymember and ask them to support SB 1047 — an effort that led to dozens of constituent calls.

• Earlier this month, Accountable Tech joined 40 civil society organizations to write a joint letter demanding Big Tech implement safeguards against the rampant spread of political deepfakes.

• In 2023, Accountable Tech launched digital ads and a report detailing the broken promises made in Big Tech’s “Accord” to address AI election content signed by companies including Microsoft, Google, and OpenAI.

• Learn more about Accountable Tech’s previous work on AI HERE.