Elon Musk Backs California's AI Safety Bill, Surprising Tech Industry

Elon Musk just threw his support behind a controversial bill to regulate AI

Tesla CEO and xAI founder Elon Musk has thrown his support behind a California bill that's divided Silicon Valley and promises to regulate the artificial intelligence industry. The bill, SB 1047, would mandate companies that have spent more than $100 million to develop an AI model, or a model that reaches a certain threshold of computing power, to implement safeguards and conduct safety testing. The state attorney general would also be given the power to take action against developers whose model causes "severe harm." Companies would also need to implement a kill switch to instantly terminate their models at any time. "This is a tough call and will make some people upset, but, all things considered, I think California should probably pass the SB 1047 AI safety bill," Musk wrote on X, formerly, Twitter, which he owns, on Monday. "For over 20 years, I have been an advocate for AI regulation, just as we regulate any product/technology that is a potential risk to the public." The bill passed the state's Senate and is scheduled for a vote in the State Assembly later this week, before returning for a final vote in the Senate. Gov. Gavin Newsom would then have to sign the bill into law. Although SB 1047 was proposed by Scott Weiner, a Democratic state senator representing San Francisco, it's been opposed by a number of high profile Golden State Congressional Democrats, including Reps. Nancy Pelosi and Rho Khanna. Several tech companies have also expressed their opposition or proposed amendments to make SB 1047 more attractive. Weiner eliminated earlier aspects of the bill, including criminal penalties for perjury and the creation of a government oversight committee dedicated to AI. He was advised, in part, by Anthropic, an AI-firm backed by Amazon and founded by ex-OpenAI engineer, which made a series of recommendations. In a letter to Newsom earlier this month, Anthropic said SB 1047's "benefits likely outweigh its costs," although it wasn't completely certain. The Chamber of Progress, a progressive tech group that works with firms like Apple and Lyft, has removed its opposition to the bill, citing an amended provision on data transparency. SB 1047 is also supported by Geoffrey Hinton and Yoshua Bengio, researchers sometimes called the "godfathers of AI" and the Center for AI Safety. On the other hand, ChatGPT maker OpenAI has opposed the bill, arguing that it would slow progress and push companies to innovate elsewhere. Google and Meta have expressed their concerns over the bill. as have a16z's Marc Andreessen and Ben Horowitz. The third AI godfather and Meta's chief AI scientist, Yann LeCun, has opposed SB 1047, as have a number of other tech firms. "California should be leading the way on accelerating AI (safely), not creating the template to slow things down," Box CEO Aaron Levie wrote Sunday. "We're simply too early in the state of AI to taper progress."

Elon Musk Backs California AI Safety Bill As it Heads to Final Vote

Elon Musk has come out in support of California bill SB 1047, which would introduce new safety and accountability mechanisms for large AI systems. "This is a tough call and will make some people upset, but, all things considered, I think California should probably pass the SB 1047 AI safety bill," Musk writes on X. "For over 20 years, I have been an advocate for AI regulation, just as we regulate any product/technology that is a potential risk to the public." Musk joins Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei in support of the bill. Amodei says it is necessary to protect the public and increase transparency in the industry. Others major players oppose it, including Google, Meta, OpenAI, and some members of Congress, including Nancy Pelosi. They say it could stifle innovation and slow progress. SB 1047 heads to a final vote in the state Assembly this week. If it passes, it would advance to California Governor Gavin Newsom to sign or veto by Sept. 30. California state lawmakers introduced 65 bills related to AI this legislative season, touching on a range of topics from algorithmic bias to protecting intellectual property, Reuters reports. Many are already dead, while SB 1047 is still standing. The bill would require companies spending at least $100 million to develop powerful AI models to test them before release, and introduces a kill switch to shut them down if they spiral out of control after launch. These are "reasonable and implementable" measures, says California State Senator Scott Wiener, who originally introduced the bill. He says OpenAI has already committed to performing such safety evaluations. Meta's chief AI scientist Yann LeCun says the bill would have "apocalyptic consequences on the AI ecosystem" because it would regulate the research and development process. "The sad thing is that the regulation of AI R&D is predicated on the illusion of 'existential risks' pushed by a handful of delusional think-tanks, and dismissed as nonsense (or at least widely premature) by the vast majority of researchers and engineers in academia, startups, larger companies, and investment firms," LeCun says. Though Musk supports SB 1047, he has a somewhat mixed track record on AI safety and accountability. On the one hand, he joined Apple CEO Steve Wozniak in signing a 2023 letter calling for an industry-wide pause on development until the societal risks are better understood. He has also sued OpenAI twice this year. On the other hand, his Grok chatbot recently drew criticism for creating false, realistic images of Donald Trump and Vice President Kamala Harris, which could spread misinformation ahead of the US presidential election. Tesla's AI-driven self-driving systems have also been embroiled in multiple lawsuits regarding lethal crashes, which the EV maker denies its technology contributed to.

Elon Musk throws support behind California's AI safety bill -- 'this is a tough call and will make some people upset'

The first attempt at codifying AI regulations anywhere in the U.S. just won the support of a powerful voice at a critical juncture. Elon Musk, CEO of Tesla and founder of Grok chatbot parent xAI, threw his weight behind California's "Safe and Secure Innovation for Frontier Artificial Intelligence Models Act" (Senate Bill 1047). Should it pass the state assembly and receive final approval from Governor Gavin Newsom before the legislative term ends this week, it would put initial guardrails around the technology. The bill seeks to require developers to create safety protocols, to be able to shut down a runaway AI model, to report security incidents, to give rights to whistleblowers inside AI companies, to require companies to take steps to shield AI from being used by malicious hackers, and to create liabilities for companies if their AI software runs out of control. It is however opposed by venture capitalists like Marc Andreessen and is even hotly disputed among AI luminaries: Meta chief AI officer Yann LeCun opposes the bill while AlexNet's co-creator Geoffrey Hinton supports it. "This is a tough call and will make some people upset, but, all things considered, I think California should probably pass the SB 1047 AI safety bill," Musk posted on Monday, citing the "risk to the public" from AI. Up to now the only regulatory framework that exists focuses on only the largest supercomputers with 10*26 power floating-point operations, which cost more than $100 million to train. Yet this is not federal legislation on the statute books, but rather an executive order by the Biden administration that could easily be undone by his successor next year. This bill would at least in part mitigate this and provide some legal clarity for Big Tech firms like Microsoft affiliate OpenAI, Amazon-backed Anthropic and Google, even if they may not necessarily agree with it. "SB 1047 is a straight-forward, common-sense, light-touch bill that builds on President Biden's executive order," said California state senator Scott Wiener, sponsor of the bill, earlier this month. If any one state were to pick up the mantle, it would make the most sense for it to be California. Its $4 trillion economy is roughly the size of Germany and Japan's in absolute dollar terms, thanks mainly to its thriving tech sector in Silicon Valley. Arguably it is doing much more to drive innovation than either of those two G7 nations. Speaking to Bloomberg TV, Wiener said he empathized with the argument that Washington ought to have pressed forward but he cited a range of issues including data privacy laws, social media and net neutrality that Capitol Hill has consistently failed to tackle conclusively. "I agree, it should be handled at the federal level," Wiener told the broadcaster on Friday. "Congress has a very poor record in terms of regulating the tech sector and I don't see that changing so California should lead. This month is the final opportunity for SB 1047 to pass. After the week ends, the state legislature term goes into recess ahead of fresh elections in November. If it does pass, it still needs to be approved by Newsom prior to the end of September, and last week the U.S. Chamber of Congress urged him to veto the bill should it cross his desk. But regulating technology can be a fool's errand since policy always lags the speed of innovation. Intervening in the free market can inadvertently stifle innovation -- and that is the primary criticism around SB 1047. Only a year ago, Big Tech champions could largely smother any outside attempt to intervene in the sector. Most policymakers understood America was locked in a high-stakes AI arms race with China, and neither could afford to lose. Were the U.S. to slap restraints on its domestic industry, it could tip the scales in favor of Beijing. A rash of recent departures among senior AI safety experts from OpenAI, the firm that launched the AI gold rush, has however sparked concerns that executives -- including its CEO Sam Altman -- may be throwing caution to the wind in a bid to accelerate commercialization of the terrifically expensive technology. Former OpenAI safety researcher Daniel Kokotajlo told Fortune on Monday that nearly half of the AI governance staff have on their own decided to collectively leave the former non-profit, dismayed by the direction it has taken. "It's just people sort of individually giving up," he said in an exclusive interview. Kokotajlo chose to spurn whatever equity he had in the firm to avoid signing an extensive non-disclosure agreement barring him from speaking about his former employer. Musk would likely be affected personally by the legislation, as well. Last year he founded his own artificial general intelligence startup in xAI. He just opened a brand new supercompute cluster in Memphis that is powered by AI training chips and staffed by experts he effectively poached from Tesla. But Musk isn't your average challenger: he's well acquainted with technology, having co-founded OpenAI in December 2015 and personally recruit its former chief scientist. Later the Tesla CEO and entrepreneur fell out with Altman, deciding ultimately to sue the firm not once but twice.

Elon Musk supports California's AI safety bill (NASDAQ:TSLA)

Tesla (NASDAQ:TSLA) CEO and owner of artificial intelligence company xAI, Elon Musk, voiced support for California's controversial AI safety bill in a social media post on Monday. "This is a tough call and will make some people upset, but, all things considered, I think California should probably pass the SB 1047 AI safety bill." Musk said in a post on social media platform X. "For over 20 years, I have been an advocate for AI regulation, just as we regulate any product or technology that is a potential risk to the public," he added. The bill has been passed by the state senate and is scheduled for a vote in the state assembly by the end of this week. The bill aims to establish clear safety standards for developers of AI systems. California state senator Scott Wiener, co-author of the bill, accused some opponents of 'fearmongering.' They argue that the bill's strict rules could hinder AI development and make California less attractive for AI research and startups.

Elon Musk unexpectedly offers support for California's AI bill

Elon Musk has come out in support of California's SB 1047, a bill that requires makers of very large AI models to create and document safeguards against those models causing serious harm. "This is a tough call and will make some people upset, but, all things considered, I think California should probably pass the SB 1047 AI safety bill," he wrote on X on Monday afternoon. "For over 20 years, I have been an advocate for AI regulation, just as we regulate any product/technology that is a potential risk." Musk -- whose own large AI model company, xAI, would be subject to SB 1047's requirements despite his pledge to leave California -- has warned of the dangers of runaway AI in the past.

Elon Musk Throws Weight Behind California AI Regulation Bill Even As OpenAI Prefers Federal Regulation Over State Laws: 'Will Make Some People Upset....' - Tesla (NASDAQ:TSLA)

Tesla and SpaceX CEO Elon Musk, who co-founded OpenAI in 2015 and left the startup in 2018, only to start his AI venture xAI, has now publicly endorsed the SB 1047 AI safety bill in California. What Happened: On Monday, Musk took to X, formerly Twitter, and expressed his support for the SB 1047 AI safety bill in California. "This is a tough call and will make some people upset, but, all things considered, I think California should probably pass the SB 1047 AI safety bill," Musk wrote. He went on to add that for 20 years, he has been an advocate for AI regulation, "just as we regulate any product/technology that is a potential risk to the public." See Also: Apple To Unveil iPhone 16, Watches, And AirPods At September 10 Event: Report Subscribe to the Benzinga Tech Trends newsletter to get all the latest tech developments delivered to your inbox. Why It Matters: The endorsement from Musk comes amid a heated debate on the bill. Earlier, two former OpenAI employees had expressed their disappointment at ChatGPT-maker's opposition to the bill. They also warn of potential "catastrophic harm to society" if AI models are developed without adequate safety precautions. Former Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) has also criticized the bill as "well-intentioned but ill-informed," raising questions about the potential impact on her tech investments. The bill, introduced by Senator Scott Wiener (D-Calif.), requires safety testing for advanced AI models that cost over $100 million to develop or demand substantial computing power. Sam Altman-led OpenAI has contended that AI regulation should be managed at the federal level, warning that the bill could lead to an uncertain legal landscape. Image via Shutterstock Check out more of Benzinga's Consumer Tech coverage by following this link. Read Next: Mark Zuckerberg Explains Why Facebook Beat Google, Microsoft, And Yahoo Who Were 'Fumbling Around' Disclaimer: This content was partially produced with the help of AI tools and was reviewed and published by Benzinga editors. Market News and Data brought to you by Benzinga APIs

Elon Musk voices support for California bill requiring safety tests on AI models

Tesla chief Elon Musk, who also owns social media platform X, said on Monday he feels California should pass an AI bill that would require tech companies and AI developers to conduct safety testing on some of their own models. "For over 20 years, I have been an advocate for AI regulation, just as we regulate any product/technology that is a potential risk to the public," Musk said in a post on X, while calling on the state to pass the SB 1047 bill. California state lawmakers attempted to introduce 65 bills touching on AI this legislative season, according to the state's legislative database, including measures to ensure all algorithmic decisions are proven unbiased and protect the intellectual property of deceased individuals from exploitation by AI companies. Many of the bills are already dead. Earlier in the day, Microsoft backed OpenAI voiced support for another AI bill from California, called AB 3211, that would require tech companies to label AI-generated content, which can range from harmless memes to deepfakes aimed at spreading misinformation about political candidates. With countries representing a third of the world's population having polls this year, experts are concerned about the role AI-generated content will play, and it has already been prominent in some elections, such as in Indonesia. (Reporting by Kanjyik Ghosh in Bengaluru; Editing by Stephen Coates)

California's big bold bill to regulate AI sparks debate, Musk comes forward to support but Google & Meta differ

Silicon Valley's epicentre California, has made the first bold move to regulate and rein in artificial intelligence with a new AI safety bill, SB 1047. The bill has been passed by the state Senate and is scheduled for a vote in the State Assembly by the end of this week. This groundbreaking legislation aims to ensure that big AI developers take responsibility for their creations, especially those investing over $100 million in building AI models. Even as it's attracted support California state Senator Scott Wiener, co-author of the bill has accused some opponents of "fearmongering" to try and stop the state legislation from being passed. The AI safety bill, SB 1047, would put more responsibility on any developer spending more than $100 million to build an AI model. The requirements include: Safety Testing, where companies would need to thoroughly test their AI models to ensure they are safe. Developers would need to put in place safeguards to prevent their AI from causing harm. If an AI model causes severe harm, like mass casualties or damages exceeding $500 million, the state attorney general can take action against the developer. Independent audits would be required to verify the safety and compliance of AI models and an AI systems must have a built-in kill switch to shut them down instantly if necessary. The bill will also protect individuals who report unsafe practices within AI companies. As AI technology advances rapidly, concerns about its potential risks have grown. Supporters of SB 1047 argue that without proper regulations, AI could pose significant dangers to society. On the flip side, opponents, including major tech companies, worry that the bill could stifle innovation and make California a less attractive place for AI research and startups. Elon Musk, the owner of AI company xAI, has thrown his support behind SB 1047. "This is a tough call and will make some people upset, but, all things considered, I think California should probably pass the SB 1047 AI safety bill." he posted on X. Emphasizing the need for AI regulation to protect the public he said, "for over 20 years, I have been an advocate for AI regulation, just as we regulate any product/technology that is a potential risk to the public." Senator Scott Wiener, a key advocate for the bill, has garnered support from several notable figures in the AI community. At a virtual press conference, he was joined by AI experts like Yoshua Bengio and leaders from safety organizations such as Dan Hendrycks from the Center for AI Safety. Not everyone is on board. Big names like Google, Meta, and OpenAI have voiced their concerns, arguing that the bill's strict rules could hinder AI development and put California at a competitive disadvantage. In a letter to Wiener, OpenAI's chief strategy officer Jason Kwon wrote that while his company supports some of the bill's provisions, AI regulations should be left for the federal government to decide on. Dr. Fei-Fei Li from Stanford has warned that the bill could negatively impact smaller players in the AI field, including those in academia and the public sector. Additionally, some Democratic lawmakers, including former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, have called for a veto, believing that AI regulation should be handled at the federal level. SB 1047 has already passed the state Senate and is headed to the State Assembly for a vote by the end of the week. After several amendments, it will return to the Senate for a final vote. If approved, the bill will go to Governor Gavin Newsom for signing. So far, Newsom hasn't indicated whether he will support the bill.

Elon Musk Advocates for Controversial AI Bill, Counters OpenAI & Google

Tesla and SpaceX CEO Elon Musk has recently voiced support for a California AI Safety Bill, garnering attention across the wider industry. The Bill, SB 1047, comes as a one-of-a-kind mover scoping in on artificial intelligence development. Meanwhile, other industries' prominence continues to tear into this AI bill, with OpenAI, a vital industry player, even eyeing support for another bill. Elon Musk Supports SB 1047 California AI Bill In a post shared on X on August 27, the American entrepreneur stated, "This is a tough call and will make some people upset, but, all things considered, I think California should probably pass the SB 1047 AI safety bill." This statement by Elon Musk, as AI giants continue to rip apart the mentioned bill, has gained significant traction across the industry. The SB 1037 Bill mandates AI devs spending more than $100 million in curating a model to conduct 'safety testing.' Should the firms violate the Bill and cause damages exceeding $500 million, the attorney general remains liable to take action against the developer. However, the Bill garnered severe criticism from industry giants such as OpenAI and Google. Recently, OpenAI Chief Strategy Officer Jason Kwon hinted that the California AI bill could hinder the growth and progress of key industries. Simultaneously, Sam Altman's OpenAI appears to be pushing for another AI bill, contrary to Elon Musk's support of SB 1047. OpenAI Supports AB 3211 AI Bill Conversely, the ChatGPT maker appears to be supporting the AB 3211 AI Bill that requires the 'watermarking' of AI, aka synthetic content. This new Bill mandates tech companies to label AI-generated content, spanning from harmless memes to deepfakes aimed at spreading misinformation about political candidates. Nevertheless, the AB 3211 currently remains dwarfed due to the SB 1047. Meanwhile, industry-wide speculation remains whether the California AI 'Safety Bill' will be used to crack down on open-weights, i.e., firms offering public access to their trained models. Ethereum co-founder Vitalik Buterin further replied to Elon Musk's post on X today, revealing that recent Bill-wise developments illustrate efforts to engulf open-weights under its umbrella. However, he also added that the "charitable read of the bill is that the (medium-term) goal is to mandate safety testing." Meanwhile, in another riveting turn of events, the Tesla & SpaceX CEO's social media platform X has garnered global attention. Following Telegram founder Pavel Durov's arrest, Elon Musk agreed that X might be next to censorship scrutiny.

Elon Musk says he's backing California's controversial AI bill

This story is available exclusively to Business Insider subscribers. Become an Insider and start reading now. Have an account? Log in. Notably, SB 1047 would require AI companies to implement strict safety protocols and a kill switch to their AI models. The bill is set for a final vote in the California Assembly at the end of the month. Backing Wiener's bill, Musk said, is a "bitter pill" to swallow -- but is in line with his own stance on AI regulation. "I'm just being consistent with what I've been saying for 20 years. The xAI team is primarily in Palo Alto, so this affects us too," Musk wrote in a separate post, referencing the AI startup he launched last year. Wiener and Musk previously butted heads on legislation that banned schools from notifying parents about their child's gender identity changes. Musk has long warned about the risks and dangers of AI to society, though that hasn't stopped him from trying to dominate the AI space. Back in May, Musk's xAI that it raised $6 billion in funding for their Series B funding round. The mercurial billionaire has also sought to position EV maker Tesla as an "AI or robotics company." "If you value Tesla as just like an auto company, fundamentally, it's just the wrong framework, and if you ask the wrong question, then the right answer is impossible," Musk said during an earnings call in April. Representatives for Musk didn't immediately respond to a request for comment from Business Insider sent outside regular business hours.