Elon Musk has unexpectedly made a “tough call” to support a bill which would introduce more AI safeguarding in California. Many others in the industry have taken a strong stance against it.

Senate Bill 1047 will require large AI model creators to have safeguards in place as well as prevent “critical harms” against humanity.

This means AI disasters (such as creating weapons or large cyberattacks) could be stopped before they happen. Creators would also be held liable for damages over $500 million.

What did Elon Musk say about the bill?

“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.

“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 would apply to his own AI company, xAI. Its headquarters are still based in California, despite Musk expressing a desire to move his business to Texas.

Differing opinions on SB 1047

One of xAI’s competitors, OpenAI, has taken an opposing stance on SB 1047. A letter from its chief strategy officer Jason Kwon said the bill would threaten the growth of AI and called instead for federal policies.

“A federally-driven set of AI policies, rather than a patchwork of state laws, will foster innovation and position the U.S. to lead the development of global standards,” he wrote last week.

Another AI heavyweight, Anthropic, put forward various amendments to the bill which have been accepted. This means companies will not be able to be sued for negligence if a disaster has not yet occurred.

SB 1047 passed the State Senate 32-1 and will be voted on in the State Assembly by the end of the week. If it passes that stage, it will advance to be signed or vetoed by Governor Gavin Newsom in September.

Featured Image: Photo by Mariia Shalabaieva on Unsplash

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