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Newsom signs AI safety law opposed by Meta, Google, OpenAI

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Significant state-level AI governance development; California's regulatory actions often influence broader US and global AI policy, making this relevant to those tracking AI governance and the tension between industry self-regulation and government oversight.

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Summary

California Governor Gavin Newsom signed an AI safety bill into law despite strong opposition from major tech companies including Meta, Google, and OpenAI. The legislation imposes new safety requirements on AI developers operating in California, marking a significant state-level regulatory development after Newsom previously vetoed a similar bill. This represents a notable shift in the governor's stance toward AI governance.

Key Points

  • •Newsom signed AI safety legislation that faced fierce opposition from major AI companies including Meta, Google, and OpenAI.
  • •The law establishes safety requirements for AI developers in California, a major hub for AI development.
  • •This marks a reversal from Newsom's earlier veto of SB 1047, a similar AI safety bill, in 2024.
  • •The legislation represents one of the most significant US state-level AI regulatory actions, potentially setting precedent for other states.
  • •Tech industry lobbying against the bill highlights ongoing tension between AI safety advocates and major AI developers.

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 Skip to main content Politics Newsom signs AI safety law opposed by Meta, Google, OpenAI

 The legislation is the first in the nation to put regulatory guardrails on the rapidly growing industry.

 Gov. Gavin Newsom signed Senate Bill 53 after vetoing an earlier effort to rein in the AI industry. (Photo by Mario Tama/Getty Images) | Source: Mario Tama/Getty Images By Josh Koehn Senior Politics Reporter Updated Sep. 29, 2025 • 3:56pm Published Sep. 29, 2025 • 3:05pm Share Share

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 Close share menu Gov. Gavin Newsom on Monday signed the nation’s first extensive law on artificial intelligence safety, putting California in the driver’s seat on regulating a rapidly growing industry that the federal government has failed to address.

 “California has proven that we can establish regulations to protect our communities while also ensuring that the growing AI industry continues to thrive,” Newsom said in a statement. “ This legislation strikes that balance.”

 Senate Bill 53 — authored by state Sen. Scott Wiener (D-San Francisco) — establishes the Transparency in Frontier Artificial Intelligence Act, the most ambitious effort to date in regulating advanced AI systems. The law will be rolled out in phases, starting in January. 

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 Newsom’s signature on SB 53 comes after he v etoed a more aggressive bill by Wiener last year that would have imposed harsher penalties on bad AI actors. That bill was opposed by many of the most powerful tech companies in Silicon Valley. In his veto message, Newsom created a task force of AI experts to design a framework that was used to write SB 53 and other AI-related bills this year. The task force’s recommendations focused more on transparency and mitigating risks than on penalizing companies.

 Many of the biggest players in tech — Meta, Alphabet, OpenAI, and the trade group TechNet — lobbied against SB 53, saying they preferred uniform rules at the federal level. 

 Collin McCune, head of government affairs for venture capital firm Andreessen Horowitz, said in a social media post (opens in new tab) that SB 53 had some thoughtful provisions, but the “biggest danger” in Newsom signing it into law comes from the precedent it sets for more states — rather than Congress — to lead on AI regulation.

 Federal lawmakers have not taken up the issue, but President Donald Trump this summer released an “ AI Action Plan ” that called for a moratorium on AI regulation by states, which many saw as a giveaway to tech companies.

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