California Governor Newsom Orders AI Kill Switch
California Governor Gavin Newsom has signed an executive order to accelerate independent oversight of artificial intelligence companies and push for a kill switch for AI models, according to a report by The Decoder. The directive responds to recent security incidents, including a targeted attack on Hugging Face.
Under the order, an expert panel has two months to deliver recommendations. These proposals include requiring AI developers to embed independent auditors directly inside their research laboratories, a concept previously raised by labs seeking to slow the pace of development. Newsom noted that no federal law currently mandates AI companies to report dangerous incidents, contrasting California’s active legislative framework with federal inaction. California has already enacted laws addressing AI safety, child protection, deepfakes, data privacy, and cybersecurity, prompting the governor to call on Congress to adopt similar standards as a national baseline.
The push for stricter oversight also follows warnings from a group of 42 mathematicians regarding the potential risks of rapidly evolving advanced AI systems.
Based on reporting by the-decoder.com.
